


The Kakashi and Mei Conglomeration

by tabjoy13



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anbu Hatake Kakashi, Angst and Feels, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Family Feels, Fatherhood, Feels, Hatake Kakashi-centric, Hokage Hatake Kakashi, No Sex, No Smut, Nonsense, Original Character(s), POV Hatake Kakashi, Parent Hatake Kakashi, Protective Hatake Kakashi, Randomness, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:15:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 44
Words: 129,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29699022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabjoy13/pseuds/tabjoy13
Summary: A collection of short stories where I like to imagine Kakashi and Mei had a relationship, got married, and raised children together. The subject matter and tone of the stories vary; some are silly, some are overly dramatic, some are serious, etc. Stories are generally meant to stand alone and they appear not in chronological order but at random points in their lives. If you want to read everything chronologically, the chapter order is as follows: 38, 29, 2, 12, 32, 41, 4, 8, 9, 7, 30, 11, 35, 21, 31, 36, 24, 28, 20, 26, 27, 13, 3, 22, 25, 33, 43, 17, 10, 5, 6, 1, 23, 34, 19, 39, 14, 15, 16, 44, 42, 18, 40, 37. Cross posted on FF.net
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hatake Kakashi/Terumi Mei, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	1. Prologue

“Do you see that fancy house with the kids playing around it? They’ve gotta have some money right?” The man turned to his companion and gestured at the house beyond their cover.

“Are you brain dead? Do you know who lives there?”

“What? No. Who?”

“You noticed the kids but not their hair?”

The first man looked again. “It’s silver, so what? Lots of families have silver…hey, you’re not saying…”

“You’re right,” the second man finished for him, “lots of families do have silver hair. But not a lot of families live in the middle of nowhere between the lands of Fire and Water, in a house that looks like it grew instead of being built.”

The first man took a step back. “When I heard those stories I thought they were just urban legends. It sounded too crazy to be true, more like a fairy tale. The Fifth Mizukage and the Sixth Hokage got married and they live in a house that was…”

“Constructed by the only living wood-style user,” the second man finished.

The first man took another look at the silver-haired boys playing in the grass around the giant house. “Doesn’t she have two or three bloodline limits? I can’t believe they dared to have children.”

“They have four,” the second man said smiling grimly. 

The first man’s head whipped around. “You’re kidding.”

The second man shook his head.

The first man looked back at the house in wonder. “Every bandit with an oversized ego must have a go at trying to snatch one of those kids. A Hatake with a possible bloodline limit or two, can you imagine what someone would pay for that?”

“Care to try?” the second man asked, a grin on his face and a dangerous glint in his eye.

The first man’s eyes widened. He took another step back from the distant house. “I may not be smart but I’m certainly not that thick.” 

“Good,” the second man said, his eyes creasing into half-moon smiles. “Your partner is tied up in a tree in the next field over. Please don’t visit again.” The transformation of the second man poofed out of existence.

The first man wet his pants.

Mei looked up from the scroll she was reading as Kakashi walked in the front door. His sons trailed after him. “What was that about?” Mei asked mildly. Twin girls with auburn hair played on the floor near her feet.

Kakashi shrugged, “I just made sure those two men you sensed earlier weren’t _lost_.” He gently kicked a ball that had rolled out of the arena of play back toward the toddlers.

“Did you,” Mei glanced at her sons who were climbing the stairs a little slower than necessary, “see that they got on their way?” Under her gaze the boys scurried up the last of the stairs to their rooms.

“That wasn’t necessary,” Kakashi said, sitting down. “Once they realized they’d taken a wrong turn they left.”

Mei raised an eyebrow at her husband that was mostly hidden by bangs. He replied with a cheeky eye-smile.


	2. First Meeting

Kakashi’s sandal squished into a puddle as he pulled up his other sandal from the sucking mud. Rain poured down from the black storm clouds overhead and splattered his cloak. Kakashi looked up at the gates of the Village Hidden in the Mist and sighed in relief. A cough rose in his throat but he swallowed it back.

 _Just a little bit longer_ , Kakashi thought. Even though his cloak had kept him relatively dry he still felt damp from the two day run through the rain. He shivered, tightened the cloak around him, and made his way unthreateningly toward the gate.

“Who goes there?” a Mist ninja called.

“Hatake Kakashi of the Leaf,” the jonin answered. The outer gate opened and Kakashi advanced to the secondary gate. Once the primary gate closed behind him two more Mist ninja approached with lanterns. Kakashi slowly pushed the hood on his cloak back, aware of the three ninja who’d jumped down behind him. His silver locks were immediately drenched by the onslaught.

The ninja with lanterns examined Kakashi’s face, then one said gruffly, “your orders?”

Kakashi leisurely pushed back the left side of his cloak and just as slowly withdrew a small scroll from a pouch. He handed the scroll to the Mist ninja who asked for it. He broke the Hokage’s seal, reading the inscription.

The Mist ninja pocketed the scroll for their records and nodded. “Welcome to the Hidden Mist Village Kakashi.”

Kakashi bowed in response. He didn’t bother to flip his hood back up, his head was completely soaked. When the secondary gate opened he walked through and hastened toward Mizukage Tower.

As the Leaf ninja approached the tower he was told to stop once more. He bent to cough for a moment but once he straightened up the guard recognized him and opened the door. “Lady Mizukage is expecting you,” he said.

Kakashi bowed again and entered the tower. By the time he’d climbed to the top floor the last Hatake was panting. He wiped his forehead and scowled at the moisture on his gloved hand. He was trying to decide if it was rain or sweat when a shudder ran through him. He shook his head to clear it and stood up straight. Striding down the hall to the Mizukage’s door he thought, _almost there._

Even as he approached the door he heard a raised voice call, “enter, Hatake.”

Kakashi did as he was bidden. Inside of the round office sat the Mizukage herself and one of her advisors. The kunoichi looked up from the report she was reading and rose. She was wearing a blue dress with a swooping neckline that only just covered her chest. She had mesh armor underneath her dress and her auburn hair cascaded in layers down her back to her ankles. Her green eyes were partially covered by bangs that swept across her face.

She smirked, “Hatake Kakashi, it’s indeed unusual to have such an esteemed and famous ninja delivering a scroll.”

Kakashi cleared his throat, then had to clear it again after meeting such resistance at his first attempt. “Lady Tsunade wished to put the Leaf’s best foot forward,” Kakashi responded effortlessly, “as it is of the utmost importance that inter-village relations remain smooth.”

The Mizukage’s smile faded a bit. The Mist’s relations with anyone, much less other villages, had been anything but smooth before she had taken over. He’d traded her small dig for one of his own. “A bit bold aren’t you?”

“My Hokage trusts me to do my job, that is all,” Kakashi responded. He’d begun to sweat under his cloak and was feeling unusually warm. His face and head in particular felt like they were radiating heat into the room.

“I assume you have the scroll then?” The Mizukage prompted.

The jonin’s eye widened. “Of course Lady Mizukage,” Kakashi spat out, embarrassed he’d let his mind wander. He reached into a different pouch and withdrew a much larger and thicker scroll then the one he’d offered at the gate. He approached the desk but was intercepted by the woman’s aide. The older man had short gray hair and one eye covered. Kakashi recoiled the tiniest bit at the hostility. As a result he’d inhaled too fast and quickly stifled a cough. The aide’s eye narrowed but the Mizukage frowned.

“Is everything alright Kakashi?” She asked, more curious than concerned. 

Kakashi straightened up and quickly handed the scroll to the aide. The older man was definitely scowling now as he took the scroll from the Leaf ninja and brought it to his kage.

Kakashi carefully inhaled and replied, “fine Lady Mizukage. I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

The Mizukage turned her frowning face from the ninja to the message he’d delivered. She broke the Hokage’s seal and began to read the scroll. Kakashi stood very still, not wanting to give the aide another reason to suspect him of foul play.

The minutes ticked by as the Mizukage read. Kakashi wished he’d taken his cloak off as soon as he’d entered the tower. He was burning up underneath it. The heat made him drowsy and he longed to lie down and get some sleep. His eyelid drooped frequently and he was having a harder and harder time of keeping it open.

After what seemed like ages the Mizukage looked up and said, “from what I can see in the document so far there’s no need for you to remain here any longer.” She smiled again, reassuring, “you’ll stay the night in the tower of course? I’ll send for someone to show you to a room.”

Kakashi’s half-closed eye blinked at the smiling face. He bowed low and thanked her quietly. He turned to go and took a couple of steps toward the door before the floor tilted in an odd manner. Kakashi awkwardly tried to catch himself on one of the chairs facing the Mizukage’s desk. However, as soon as his hand closed on the back of a chair, it seemed to twist away from him. At that point the jonin’s head swam and he crumpled senselessly to the floor. 

“Kakashi?” The Mizukage vaulted over her desk toward the fallen messenger. Her face held both a serious and confused expression.

“Wait Lady Mei it may not be safe,” her aide pleaded as she rushed toward the Leaf ninja. “At least let me-” But she was already turning the unconscious man over.

Her eyes widened in surprise when her hand brushed his cheek. “He’s burning up.” She turned to her aide who was practically on top of her trying to get in between them. “Ao get a medical ninja in here, now!”

“But my lady-” _This would be the perfect time for him to attack you,_ he thought despairingly.

“Now,” she bellowed. Her eyes flashed dangerously. 

Ao gave a quick bow and hurried out the door. Moments later he returned with two medical ninja at his heels. In the meantime Mei had unclasped Kakashi’s cloak so he was now lying on it and not in it.

“We’ll take it from here my lady,” one of the medical ninja said and Mei stood and backed away to give them room to work.

Dragging her eyes away from the Leaf ninja, Mei quickly turned to her desk and whipped out a piece of paper and ink. “Lady Mei,” the gray-haired man began.

Mei cut him off. “We have to send word to the Leaf at once. I will not allow this to become a disaster.” She paused, thinking on how to phrase exactly what happened here in her office. She was getting a headache at the possible repercussions. “Get someone from coding up here,” she requested of Ao.

“My Lady, we’re going to take the Hatake to the hospital now,” the second medical ninja said.

“Is he alright?” the Mizukage demanded even as what the medical ninja said rang like a gong in her mind. Mei looked up from her half-finished message. Ao hurried out again to get someone from coding.

The medical kunoichi smiled, “he’ll be fine my Lady. He appears to only have caught a chill and has over-exerted himself on top of it.”

Mei sagged with relief and scribbled the rest of her note quickly. Her brain was running in overdrive.

As the medical ninja carried Kakashi out, Ao came back with a kunoichi from the coding department. Mei handed the finished note to Ao and hurried past him out the door and after the stretcher. 

Ao stared at the page for a moment before turning, confused. “Lady Mizukage, where are you going?” The coding ninja followed him follow Mei out of the office and down the hall.

“Have that coded and sent off to the Leaf at once,” Mei called over her shoulder. “I’ll be at the hospital.”

“But Lady Mei, why do _you_ have to go?”

Mei was almost out the door when she called back, “if you think I’m letting the Leaf’s first messenger they’ve sent in years, who happens to be the last Hatake, a person any Mist ninja will know on sight-” she trailed off. “If you think I’m letting him out of my sight then you’re very much mistaken!” With that she was out the door, following closely behind the medical ninja headed for the hospital.

00000

Kakashi’s eyes fluttered open to reveal a hospital room that seemed…off. The jonin couldn’t put his finger on what exactly was different about it. Then he saw the woman sleeping next to his bed and he realized why the room looked familiar but not at the same time. This was not a Leaf hospital, it was a Mist one.

The Mizukage was sleeping in the chair on the other side of his end table, her head resting on said table. Kakashi tried to address the Mizukage but all that came out was a croak. He cleared his throat to try again when Mei stirred, silencing Kakashi. Her head rose and they locked eyes, blinking sleepily at each other for a few seconds.

Then Mei’s eyes widened. “You’re awake,” she stated, sitting bolt upright.

“As are you,” Kakashi countered, not sure what else to say. He blinked the sleep away from his eyes and raised a hand to scrub them.

Mei smiled, an embarrassed, apologetic expression. Kakashi contemplated this smile, different from the alluring or cunning smiles she used in political settings to hide what she was really thinking. He found it very interesting.

While he thought about it the smile disappeared and the kunoichi rose to her feet. “Oh, Sakura,” she said as if she’d forgotten something. 

“Sakura?” Kakashi repeated slowly, still a little dazed. 

Mei didn’t answer as she walked to the door of the hospital room and stuck her head out into the hall. When she pulled her head back in Sai immediately entered. “Kakashi-sensei,” Sai greeted him, bowing.

“Yo,” Kakashi replied, starting to fully wake up. That’s when Sakura stormed in.

“Kakashi-sensei, what were you thinking?! You should have told Lady Tsunade that you weren’t feeling well after your last mission! Now you’ve caused an incident and Sai had to fly me out here to make sure you were alive!” This rant began the moment the kunoichi entered the room. By the time she’d reached the bed her fist was cocked back and ready to fly. As it began to descend, however, Mei snatched the young girl’s wrist in a vice grip. 

Sakura paused, surprised. Her mouth dropped open and her wide eyes turned to meet Mei’s icy pair. “There is no incident, your partner Sai stated that it wasn’t a problem, and I think your _Sensei_ has learned his lesson. Now let him rest.”

“Of course Lady Mizukage,” Sakura barely whispered, closing her mouth.

Seeking to defuse the situation, Kakashi said, “Lady Mizukage, Sakura meant no harm. This is how she expresses worry and shows affection.”

Mei turned to Kakashi and he attempted to recoil in his bed. Her expression softened however but her tone was still clipped when she said, “then perhaps as her sensei, you should show her how to better express her feelings.”

Sai, so quiet that Kakashi wasn’t even sure it had happened, snorted.


	3. Nightmare

Kakashi sat bolt upright in bed. His bare chest was instantly chilled in the early morning air but he hardly noticed. He gasped for air, hardly letting it into his lungs before he expelled it and repeated the process.

He just kept seeing it: his arm all the way through Mei’s torso, her warm blood seeping into his clothes, chidori still screeching out her back. The jutsu had been slowly singeing her long auburn hair and the acrid stench filled his nose.

Kakashi shook the mental image away and looked to his left. Mei was lying beside him resting peacefully on her stomach. Her hair covered her where the blankets didn’t.

The rational half of Kakashi’s brain that was starting to wake up said, _see? She’s fine. Everything is fine._ However, the other half of his brain was occupied by a very vivid image of Mei’s accusing eyes staring into his. Where his arm was still stuck in her body and she was saying, _how could you? I love you!_

Kakashi shook a little, the sweat that had broken out all over his body was chilling him even more. He carefully got out of bed, taking deep breaths through his nose. He could just barely detect the smell of smoke and ashes leftover from their first home. Overtop of that smell, however, was the scent of new lumber and of Mei. Tenzo had rebuilt their house just a few days ago and the smell of the raw logs saturated the house.

Kakashi looked behind him to make sure he hadn’t disturbed Mei. When he was satisfied that she was still sleeping, Kakashi opened the balcony door and slipped outside. The cool night air immediately ruffled his hair, dancing through his silver locks. Any measure of sleepiness left in him was whisked away but the images from his dream lingered. He looked out at the field surrounding the house without seeing it.

His brain was in an ever-darkening, descending spiral. He could only see Mei’s face, feel her final breaths, smell the tang of her blood-

A hand rested on Kakashi’s back. He was startled and turned, eyes wide. Mei was standing there wearing her nightgown and a frown. Her vibrant hair fell in disorderly tangles down her back. Her eyes questioned him but Kakashi looked away from her, remaining silent.

Mei smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “It’s nice seeing you without your mask.”

“I feel naked without it,” Kakashi said reflexively. His eyes remained on the yard.

“Exactly,” Mei said playfully but Kakashi didn’t seem to hear her.

 _Ah,_ Mei thought, _a nightmare then._ She knew that if he simply couldn’t sleep he would at least joke with her.

“Was it something familiar or new?” Mei asked, serious again.

Kakashi didn’t react to the change in topic. He simply answered her question. “Both,” Kakashi muttered.

“I see,” Mei said although she didn’t see at all. She looked down and said, “but you’d better let go of the railing before you break it.”

Kakashi looked down. He was clasping onto the balcony railing with both hands. His knuckles were white and his fingernails had dug into the wood. He released them slowly much to Mei’s satisfaction.

“Now are you going to tell me about it?” Mei asked.

Kakashi sighed, shaking his head. Mei waited; Kakashi wasn’t necessarily saying no. Still not looking at her, Kakashi said, “I destroy everyone I get close to.”

“You know that isn’t true,” Mei said instantly, the topic having been discussed before. She reached over and grasped his right hand. Kakashi tried to jerk it away spasmodically. His eyes filled with an irrational panic. Her grip on the hand tightened and Kakashi relaxed, yielding.

“In my dream,” Kakashi said, the words rushing out of his mouth.

Mei cut him off, “I can guess.” She looked at the hand she’d taken possession of pointedly. “But you can tell me about that later. Right now just look at me.”

He met her eyes hesitantly but there was only love in them.

Mei spoke slowly, eyes never leaving his. “We are former kage. I can assure you that any premature death I may suffer will be because I messed up, not you.” She let that sink in, holding her husband’s gaze. “Not everything is your fault Kakashi; you don’t have to protect me.”

“I know,” Kakashi said. Then much softer, “but I _want_ to.”

Mei closed the gap between them and embraced the man she’d married. She buried her face in his chest as his arms tightened around her. “And you will,” Mei said, “I have no doubt.”

“That makes one of us,” Kakashi spoke into Mei’s hair.

Mei pulled away and smacked him teasingly. “If you need any evidence of your success look no further than your village and your students.”

Kakashi snorted, “the students that are always trying to kill each other? Those three?”

Kakashi’s expression darkened a bit but Mei swooped in immediately, “the ones that you protected time and time again so that they could live to save the world.”

“I was there too,” Kakashi said pouting but there was a smile on his face. “But I wouldn’t have made it this far if it hadn’t been for Minato-sensei and Naruto.”

“Always the humble one,” Mei said smiling.

Kakashi corrected, “I’m negative, not humble, there’s a difference.”

“Well I’m _positive_ ,” Mei enunciated, “that you’ll be able to take care of our family.”

Kakashi’s eyebrows went up. He asked the question tentatively, “you’re pregnant?”

Mei laughed, “no! We only started trying a few days ago! How would I even know yet?”

Kakashi’s shoulders slumped a little. Mei raised an eyebrow and cocked her head at him. Then realization dawned on her and her face broke into a grin. “Hatake Kakashi are you disappointed?”

“No,” Kakashi spat out. Then he relented, “well, yes. Disappointed and relieved at the same time.” Kakashi ran a hand through his hair. “Does that even make sense?”

Mei got a mischievous look, “I’m not sure.” She grasped his hand and began pulling him back inside the house. “Maybe you’d better come explain it to me.”


	4. Nights That Never End

Mei sat alone in a dimly lit booth sipping her drink. The bar had begun to clear out for the night but she wasn’t the only straggler. Several men at various tables lingered even though the employee and proprietor had begun to close the empty tables and sweep the floors.

Mei took another swallow, finishing up her glass, and set it down to pour another. She was surprised to notice that she had spilled a bit as she poured. While she suspiciously examined the puddle around her glass, three more men staggered into the establishment. They were shouting, red-faced, and sluggish in their movements.

Mei rolled her eyes. “You three should have gone home while you were ahead,” she said a little louder than she had intended.

The three men stopped and stared at her. Two of the men’s smiles returned almost instantly but the third, the tallest and broadest, frowned at her, his eyebrows furrowing. “What do you mean by that?” The man snarled. He had brown hair and a ruddy complexion that surpassed those of his companions, but that could have just been from the alcohol, or his own anger.

“Simply that you’ve probably already been kicked out of a bar once tonight and that you should have just gone home,” Mei commented. She went to take a drink out of her glass and was irritated to discover that it wasn’t even half full. She stared at it, puzzled. Then she noticed the puddle on the table once more and began to examine the bottom of her glass for cracks.

“Are you saying I can’t handle myself?” The angry man asked, his brown hair bristling.

Mei looked at the ceiling, pondering his question with her mouth open silently forming words. She knew that there was a good pun there but she couldn’t quite grasp it. Perhaps she’d had too much to drink as well.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard one of the other men, a short, dark-haired fellow, say, “Maro do you know who that is? Let’s just get out of here.” 

“I know who she is and I don’t care,” Maro growled. “Nobody talks to me that way.”

This piqued Mei’s interest and she turned to look at the man again. She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t care who I am you say? What do you plan on doing? Teaching me a lesson? How loaded are you?” The Mizukage rose slowly, her eyes flashing. Several men retreated out of the back door. She let them go, her prey was before her.

The barkeep approached, his ashen face glistening, “Lady Mei, please, why don’t we all just go home?”

Mei turned her gaze from the three men before her to the sweating man at her elbow. Her look froze his blood. “Do you know the things that I’ve done?” Her voice was low and sinister. The frightened man took a few steps back.

“Redeemed the Village Hidden in the Mist,” said a man who’d just pushed aside the hangings around the door, “and that was no small undertaking.” The man walked into the bar, hands in pockets. “Really Lady Mei, if I were you, I’d stop teasing these men and just let them go home.” The newcomer turned to the three men he was now standing beside, “that’s where you were heading correct?”

The third man of the group was shocked into speaking for the first time, “yes Lord Sixth.” He hastily grabbed the red-faced man and their shorter companion with a hurried, “come on Maro, Miki,” and pulled them out of the bar.

The barkeep withdrew behind the counter with the sweeper he employed and waited, watching. The last of the frightened customers fled. 

“Kakashi,” Mei casually said with a smirk, “what brings you here so late? They’ve been trying to close the place you know.” She waved her hand lazily at the employees of the bar without looking at them. The two men flinched.

Kakashi shrugged as he walked toward her. “I couldn’t sleep, thought I’d take a walk. Join me?” He angled his head toward the door.

Mei chuckled, “think you can control me with those smooth words? No. I think I’ll just sit down and have another drink.” She clumsily sat and beckoned to the barkeeper but Kakashi shook his head at him. The man gratefully remained behind the counter. 

Mei’s face became a bright scarlet. She rose fast and spoke faster, “I don’t know what you’re thinking about doing here Kakashi but it won’t do anything to change what I want is to have another drink so shut up and leave.” Then she smirked and said slowly, “or I’ll make you leave.”

The barkeeper grasped the arm of the young man beside him and hurried to the back room behind the counter.

Mei began to weave hand signs. Kakashi closed the distance between them in an instant, grasping her right arm. “Don’t,” he warned.

One of her eyebrows arched, “you think you can stop me?” She looked him in the eyes, his black ones stared back, intense but still somehow passive.

“No,” Kakashi said honestly, “but that doesn’t mean I won’t try.” Then he lowered his voice, his tone hardened, “are you threatening my village Lady Mizukage?”

They stared each other down for a moment, then two. After a bit Mei blinked at him in surprise, the muscles in her jaw loosening. He wasn’t going to shrink back and let her have her way. He wasn’t afraid of her. This was quite a revelation until her brain suddenly hurt and she put a hand to her head to ease the pressure behind her right eyebrow.

Without saying anything Kakashi raised his other hand and put it on her forehead. His grip on her right hand loosened. “Let me walk you back Lady Mei,” Kakashi said quietly.

“Don’t change the subject,” Mei growled as he removed his hand. Her eyes followed the hand with interest. “You a have very cold hand did you know that?”

“All a part of the package,” Kakashi said eye-smiling. He called good night loud enough for the men in the back room to know that the coast was clear as he guided Mei out of the establishment.

Mei couldn’t keep herself from giggling as they walked down the street. Finally a man was willing to walk her home and she wanted nothing to do with it. How ironic.

“What’s so funny?” Kakashi asked curiously. Then she swayed too far to one side and he grabbed her shoulders to keep her from falling over.

Mei’s temper flared. “Don’t put your arm around me,” Mei protested, smacking Kakashi in the head hard enough for him to see stars float lazily into his vision. “And I’m not ugly.”

Kakashi closed his eyes and waited for the stars to disappear. Her moods swung all over the place when she was drunk. No wonder the bartender was scared. “Who called you ugly?” He was trying to imagine who would be dense enough to say that.

“You did, just now,” Mei practically screamed. She pointed her finger at him accusingly. “Do it again and I’ll kill you.”

Kakashi sighed. They were on a residential street and it was very late. Kakashi lowered his voice to encourage her to do the same when he said, “I did no such thing.”

“Are you calling me a liar?!” Mei’s stage whisper was so piercing that Kakashi suddenly missed the shouting. Then it was like something sparked in Mei’s eyes. She giggled and skipped away from him as if inviting him to chase her down the road.

Kakashi stood there, in the middle of the street, arms crossed over his black vest, staring at the crazy woman walking away from him. He shook his head in wonder. She was zigzagging down the dirt lane with her arms outstretched for balance. Then Kakashi spoke into the silence, “is there something wrong with your hearing Lady Mei?”

Mei stopped dead without turning. After a moment her back straightened and she began to run. Kakashi blinked in surprise, unintentionally giving her a head start. He hadn’t expected her to be able to just take off like that. Still, it was his village and she couldn’t elude him for long. Taking to the rooftops with a step like a cat, Kakashi caught up to the Mizukage quickly and dropped back down to the street.

Mei almost screamed when Kakashi landed in front of her. She dodged but her reflexes were off and instead of pulling out of it smoothly she overcorrected and fell in the dirt. She caught herself on all fours, scraping her hands. After staying there, panting a bit, she picked her hands up to look at them one at a time to maintain her balance. Then she started to cry.

They were quiet tears at first and Kakashi only knew she was crying because he could see the dirt beneath her face darken with the wet drops. Then she began to sob, a sobering, mournful sound that cut to the heart. Kakashi took a step toward her, not sure what to do. She reacted instantly, “don’t. Don’t touch me.” She scrambled away from his shadow. It was cast by the streetlight behind him and made him look much closer to her than he was.

Kakashi held up his hands but said nothing. Mei wiped at the tears staining her face, the dirt and blood on her hands hindering her efforts. “Lady Mei,” Kakashi said gently, “let me help you.”

“I don’t need your help,” Mei retorted, standing carefully to avoid touching her hands to the ground again.

“I know you don’t need my help,” Kakashi said. “But I want to.”

Mei looked up from her hands to stare at him. With the streetlight behind him his face was in shadow and that made it hard to read. It was the only light in the overcast night and it lit up his silhouette. His hair was especially set off by the light, making it look like his silver locks glowed. 

When Mei didn’t say anything Kakashi tried, “can I accompany you back?”

She blinked and closed her mouth. Then she turned her face away from him, angry with herself. Her first reaction was to reject the offer since she’d been staring at him unashamedly for the last thirty seconds and was embarrassed. Then her addled brain thought, _why not? This night couldn’t-_

Just then the clouds opened and it began to rain. Kakashi stared up at the clouds accusingly. When the Hokage looked back at Mei she was just staring at the ground.

“I thought it would be better,” Mei told the ground.

Kakashi only just heard her over the sound of the rain. His eyebrows furrowed, “what would be better?”

“Being away from the village on my graduation anniversary. It isn’t; it’s never better.”

Kakashi’s face settled into a familiar blank expression. The two of them stood in the rain for some time. The rain washed the tears, blood, and dirt off of Mei’s face. The torrents soaked through their clothes and hair but neither ninja moved. When Mei began to shiver Kakashi decided that that was enough.

“Lady Mei,” Kakashi said, breaking her trance once more. “We should head back. You’re staying in the Tower correct?”

Mei nodded mutely.

Kakashi stepped up next to her but not too close and motioned with his hand as if opening the whole soaking road for her personal use. Mei smiled, “yes, we’d better get you out of the rain. We wouldn’t want you going all to pieces like that time.”

Kakashi frowned in thought but then remembered the incident she was referring to and smiled. “That was quite a few years ago. I’m surprised you remember.”

“All my labor toward peace being unraveled by some upstart jonin? How could I forget?” Mei teased.

Kakashi would have thought she was sober if her stride didn’t waver so much. _Is she flirting with me?_ Kakashi thought, _if I didn’t know she was drunk before..._

Mei slipped in a puddle but Kakashi caught her before she fell in the mud and stood her back up. He braced himself as he let her go, preparing to be struck again. Her hand didn’t fly.

Mei was frowning at the upset pool on the ground as the raindrops seemed to bounce in it. “Do you know what graduation exams in the Mist used to be like Kakashi?”

Kakashi nodded in response even though she wasn’t looking at him.

She must have either sensed his answer or just didn’t expect one because she continued, “I graduated from the academy when I was nine years old.”

Kakashi was silent. They stood in the deserted lane in the glow of the streetlight, rain coming down in sheets. Still, neither of them moved.

“There was a boy in my class who was good with explosives,” Mei pulled her long soaked bangs back away from her face. Then she pulled the hair further back to reveal her right ear. It was red with scarring and disfigured. She let the hair drop. “I haven’t been able to hear the same since; I get words confused sometimes.” She chuckled darkly, “he took my hearing; I took his life. Doesn’t seem like a fair trade does it?”

Kakashi remained silent. He knew all too well that there was nothing he could say.

After several minutes Mei spoke once more. “I should be getting back.” She pulled away from Kakashi and started to walk down the road toward Hokage Tower, a little steadier than before. Kakashi followed her. She looked back at him with an irritated eyebrow raised, “I already told you Lord Hokage, I don’t need your help.”

Kakashi eye-smiled at her. “I know, but I can’t help that we’re going the same way.”

Mei frowned, unable to argue. She _was_ basically staying in his home.

They made their way back in silence, walking the same way but _not_ together. As they approached the first door to the Tower Kakashi groaned inwardly. He could feel the guarding ANBU nearby. No doubt they were already speculating on why the Hokage left his rooms this late and returned with the Mizukage. When his mind filled with speculation of its own he pushed it away. No use dwelling on it now, it was done.

After recommending she drink some water, Kakashi bade the Mizukage good night at her door and headed further up to his apartment.

The next morning the Lady Mizukage, Lord Hokage, and dignitaries from the Cloud, Stone, and Sand joined together for their first meeting of the day. Upon entering the room Kakashi quietly inquired after the Mizukage’s hands. She replied stiffly that they were much improved and thanked him for the concern. Kakashi nodded and took his seat. Chojuro, who was the only person within earshot, frowned in confusion at the exchange but said nothing as the meeting began.

The rest of the week went on with one meeting blurring into another. By the time all the adjustments to the trade agreements were finalized, Mei and Chojuro were ready to head home. Before they left they were received into the Hokage’s office to pay their final respects to the hosting leader.

A Leaf ninja was waiting to accompany them to the gate when Mei said, “I would like to have a word with the Hokage alone.”

Chojuro looked confused for a moment but he recovered quickly, bowed, and retreated along with the Leaf ninja. As the door closed Mei and Kakashi looked at each other. Kakashi sat placidly behind his desk. His eyes were sharp however, the Mizukage looked nervous.

Mei took a deep breath. “Lord Hokage,” Mei began, “I would like to thank you for…assisting me the other night.”

Kakashi’s eyebrows disappeared behind his headband.

“You prevented me from destroying a peace that I’ve worked very hard to build. You even tried to warn me.” Mei trailed off but when Kakashi remained silent she continued, “I’m…troubled by the idea of what I might have done if you hadn’t stepped in.”

Kakashi said, “I don’t believe you would have done anything so reckless.”

Mei’s formality broke and her voice shook with emotion. “I shouldn’t have even been doing something so stupid in the first place. What was I thinking? I could have killed those men so easily.”

“But you didn’t,” Kakashi said with a bitter smile. He stood up behind his desk so that they were facing each other on the same level. “And ninja like us, the ones who have been around too long, have enough on our conscience without dwelling on those we _almost_ killed.”

Mei looked the Hokage in the eye. There was pain in those dark orbs.

Kakashi said, “you’re not the only one with a bloodied past.” After a beat he continued, “I invented an assassination jutsu when I was twelve. You can imagine the kind of life that sparked _that_ type of achievement.” 

As he said this Mei saw a form of understanding in his eyes. It wasn’t complete but it was comforting.

“Have a safe trip home Lady Mizukage,” Kakashi said seating himself behind his desk once more. She’d clearly been dismissed.

She smirked and said, “until we meet again Lord Hokage.” 


	5. Flight: Part 1

Kakashi teleported into the kitchen. Mei set down the dish she’d been drying, a frown on her face.

“Where are the girls?” Kakashi asked a little breathless.

“Upstairs,” Mei responded instantly picking up on the worry in his eyes. She ripped off her apron. “How many?”

“At least thirty if not more,” Kakashi responded, pulling his emergency pack out of the pantry.

Mei was suddenly gone and reappeared a moment later with her still-sleepy daughters. Mei was surprised that they weren’t upset at being woken up so roughly. Then again her heart was pounding so hard that they could probably feel it through her blouse.

“Roka, Kasumi,” Kakashi called out the back window, a tense calm dripping from the names. 

Wide-eyed, the two sons of Hatake Kakashi hurried to the back door when their father opened it for them. Once they were all inside, Kakashi pulled up the trapdoor in the kitchen that led to the cellar. He went to help Mei down but she just jumped, arms full, into the dark hole and landed smoothly. Kakashi smirked at her from under his mask. He couldn’t see her but he knew she was smiling back.

The family head then turned his attention to his eldest son who was following his mother’s example. The little silver-haired head disappeared into the gloom of the cellar. Kasumi however looked nervously first where his brother had disappeared and then up at his father. Kakashi eye-smiled at him. _At least one of them still needs me,_ he thought. He scooped the relieved looking boy up and hopped down into the cellar, pulling the trapdoor closed behind them.

Mei had already pulled the lever behind the second shelf on the right and a stone door slid aside. Behind it was their emergency tunnel.

Mei took off down it with Roka hot on her heels. Kakashi followed with Kasumi in his arms. The tunnel was cool and smelled of the earth. The air was stale and seemed to sigh with their passing. After running for several minutes the tunnel began to slope upward and it terminated inside of a tree trunk. Kakashi and Mei both stretched out their senses but didn’t feel any of their pursuers.

Kakashi set Kasumi down inside of the tunnel and stepped out into the light. After scanning the area he reached back into the tree to help his younger son out when Mei spoke hurriedly, “Kakashi they’re behind us.”

Kakashi grasped both of his sons at once, hoisting them out of the tree. “Stay close,” he commanded. Both boys nodded and shrank into the natural indentations in the tree trunk, using it as cover as they’d been taught.

As Kakashi stuck his head and torso back into the tree, Mei passed their daughters up to him. Mei had a glint in her eye. He took his daughters and got them and himself away from the entryway. A few seconds later muffled screaming could be heard echoing down the tunnel. Mei shut the door tightly behind her and stepped out of the concealed entrance.

“Did you use lava or acid Mom?” Roka asked excitedly, his eyes wide.

“Either way we won’t be able to go back that way,” Kakashi said seriously. “We need to-” Kakashi bit back a curse as he whipped out a kunai and deflected several shuriken. Kakashi stepped away from the protection of the tree to free his range of motion. Mei stepped behind him, grabbing Fujita and Hisano from where the twins had been sitting in the grass. Roka got behind his father, his eager face now pale and frightened. Kasumi didn’t move, already safely in his father’s shadow.

Normally Kakashi would have simply dodged the shuriken, none of them seemed to be thrown with any kind of accuracy, but with his family behind him he didn’t dare. That was when Kakashi noticed a deflected shuriken in front of his face was whipping drops of something everywhere. His eyes tracked it as if in slow motion. Simultaneously a shuriken glanced off of his shoulder guard and bit into the exposed part of his arm. The wound was minor but his eyes followed the splatter in confusion and then dismayed comprehension: _poison._

Kakashi threw a smoke bomb, grabbing his sons as he did so. “Mei, run!” Kakashi said urgently. She didn’t have to ask where, this particular escape plan and route set them on a course for the Leaf. The two former kage sprinted off into the forest, their family literally in their hands.

They’d been running for several minutes before Roka piped up. “Dad,” Roka whined. “I can run by myself.”

“Roka,” Kakashi gasped as he jumped from branch to branch, “I don’t really think this is the time.”

“I can keep up, I promise!” Roka continued his argument with an implementation of puppy-dog eyes. The boy didn’t see his mother’s worried expression directed at his father.

“Kakashi,” Mei said hesitantly. She’d noticed that he’d begun to pant after only a few miles.

Kakashi nodded, conceding. They dropped out of the trees to the ground. Kakashi set Roka down and Kasumi immediately piped up. “Me too Daddy! I can do it myself.”

Mei smiled at her sons. They were growing up so fast. Kakashi smiled with his eyes and set his second-born down as well. Then Kakashi and Mei stiffened. _Fireball._ Mei’s hands were already in motion. How she managed to weave signs while holding both of her daughters was always a mystery to Kakashi. He was stunned every time he saw it. Incidentally a water dragon burst out of the ground, shielding the group from the flames hurtling toward them. 

“I guess we didn’t lose them after all,” Kakashi said as the resulting steam hit their faces. “Come on boys, stay between your mother and me.” The family took off again, this time on the ground. Mei was in the lead carrying the girls with Roka and Kasumi behind her and Kakashi bringing up the rear.

When they had gained enough breathing room for a quick stop, Mei pulled up short and set her daughters down. “Now stay right there my darlings. You’ll keep being good for Mommy won’t you?” The emerald green eyes of the pair stared silently at her in answer. They’d been awake for awhile and though they could barely walk they knew enough that something very serious was happening. They continued their quiet demeanor and were soon occupying themselves with the blades of grass around them. Kasumi hurried over to his sisters and began playing with them.

Roka had his eyes on his father, who was summoning a ninja hound. He never missed a summoning ever since Kakashi had promised him a pup of his own one day. Pakkun soon joined the family in the woods.

“What’s up Kakashi? Lady Mei?” Pakkun said amicably. He was hoping he’d get to play with the Hatake pups again but judging by the parents’ faces, that wasn’t on the agenda.

“Pakkun, we’re being chased by a group of about thirty. We’ve cut them down to size but I’m not sure if-” Kakashi noted his eldest listening in. One glance from his father and Roka jumped and pretended to head over and play with his siblings. The boy was still obviously keeping his ear trained on the conversation. Kakashi lowered his voice, “I’m not sure if we’ll be able to make it back to the Leaf before they catch up.”

Mei’s eyes widened but she said nothing. It felt as if a vice had tightened around her heart. She hadn’t thought the situation was that dire but Kakashi was usually the positive one, always pulling out a last minute solution. If her husband thought they needed to ask for help…she didn’t want to think about it.

“I’ve been poisoned and we don’t have time to stop and…analyze the results. If need be, Mei and the children can run ahead and meet up with some reinforcements from the Leaf. ” Mei’s eyes narrowed in displeasure but again she said nothing.

The woman’s look was making Pakkun eager to be gone. “Right, I’ll run ahead and get help in case you need it,” Pakkun clarified. He briefly contemplated in wonder at how it was possible that Kakashi hadn’t already wilted under his wife’s gaze. Kakashi was passive however and Pakkun took off running.

“Why didn’t you tell me you’d been poisoned?” Mei asked through clenched teeth after Pakkun had gone. 

Kakashi angled his arm toward her so she could see. “Didn’t have time before,” Kakashi said sighing. “It’s only a graze but it’s clear enough those shuriken were poisoned. I haven’t felt-” Kakashi sought in vain for the correct word as Mei cleaned and dressed the wound. “I don’t feel well anyway.”

“Who do you think the poison was for?” Mei asked quickly. She glanced at their precious children. Roka was standing guard over the other three in such a way that was either adorable or ridiculous depending on how you looked at it.

“If the poison was meant to kill it’s taking its time,” Kakashi said as Mei tied up the bandage on his arm. “Probably meant to put them to sleep until they could be collected. Wouldn’t want to damage the goods.” A bitter tone had crept into the ninja’s voice. “It’s sapping my strength in any case. I’ll be fine,” he added the last part quickly as Mei’s sharp eyes looked him over critically. “We just need to get as much ground covered as possible. If you have to leave me-”

“That’s not going to happen,” Mei cut in. “We had this talk when Roka was born and again with Kasumi. We stay together no matter what.” Suddenly Mei’s eye was drawn in the direction in which they’d come.

Kakashi sighed and stood up. “Then we’d better get moving,” he said, noting Mei’s tight expression. “Roka? Kasumi? Are you two still okay to run?”

“Yes father,” Roka said, pride creeping into his voice. Kasumi simply nodded.

“Come on my sweets,” Mei cooed, picking Fujita and Hisano up in turn. Her voice was charming but she kept a sharp eye on where she felt the enemy ninja approaching. Hisano nuzzled her face into her mother’s shoulder. Fujita was looking around, eyes alert.

“Mei, you lead,” Kakashi suggested and they were off again.

The miles seemed to stretch on and on. Kakashi did his best to keep his speed up. Meanwhile Mei went as slow as she dared for his sake. She could tell he was still having a hard time keeping his usual pace.

After a few miles, Kasumi started to fall behind his sibling. The middle child was only just keeping up with his father, who insisted that Kasumi and his brother stay between Mei and himself. The boy’s little cheeks puffed with the effort as his silver locks played around his sweaty brow, sticking here and there.

Kakashi adjusted his step to get behind Kasumi and scooped him up mid-stride. Kasumi gasped in surprise and then clung onto his father’s dark vest. “I’m sorry Daddy,” the boy whispered. 

Kakashi turned, looked at his son, and was surprised to see tears on the boy’s cheeks. Kakashi chuckled and gave the boy a squeeze. Kasumi looked up, confused. “It’s alright Kasumi, you did really well. But what would Uncle Naruto say?”

Kasumi thought for a moment and then looked back into his father’s half concealed face, “he’d say not to worry and that next time I’ll do better?”

Kakashi nodded. “That’s right and will you?”

Kasumi frowned, “I’ll try.”

Kakashi gave his son another squeeze and panted, “that’s my boy.”

“But Daddy,” Kasumi continued. “Roka’s always so far ahead of me. In shuriken practice and hide and seek and he can run farther…”

Kakashi smiled, a certain student of his coming to mind. “Well, all you can do is keep trying. Besides, even if you can’t keep up with your brother in one way, you just need to find your own strengths right?”

Kasumi nodded into a shoulder pad. A short time later Kakashi felt his son’s exhausted body relaxing. Kakashi held Kasumi protectively, keeping an eye on Roka who also appeared to be slowing down. The former Hokage smiled beneath his mask. _My tough boys. I hope I made you half as proud, father._

As Kakashi expected, a few miles later Roka had about had it. Kakashi got the boy’s attention and held out the crook of his elbow. Roka’s eyes brightened at the familiar gesture. Without slowing either of them down, Roka made a jump at the handhold, grasping it, and swinging onto his father’s back. Once there the boy gripped the pack until he could get situated. They’d practiced this hundreds of times, and thankfully had to use it less often, so that Kakashi could get them both away quickly in an emergency while keeping his own hands free.

Kakashi was both proud of his sons and disappointed in himself. He and Mei knew that if they had children that they’d constantly be targets. This was much like how Sasuke and Naruto had been targets when they’d been in Kakashi’s care. It was one of the many reasons they’d been assigned to him. Kakashi frowned at the memory of Sasuke emerging from The Forest of Death with Orochimaru’s curse mark. He carefully shoved the thought away. 

In order to ensure their children’s survival, Kakashi and Mei had had to teach their children at a young age several skills that some students in the academy had yet to master. The boys at least, young though they were, had to know how to hide, evade capture, and most importantly keep themselves out of harm’s way when he and Mei, especially Mei, were in combat. It was more carefree than his and Mei’s childhood but still, it could have been better. If only-

“Kakashi,” Mei cried and he looked up to see that she was much farther ahead of him than before. He picked up the pace but then realized that that wasn’t what she was drawing his attention to.

The _former_ last Hatake dodged as he felt three kunai coming his way. “Roka, what do you see?” Kakashi panted.

Kakashi felt Roka shift in his perch on Kakashi’s back so that the boy could turn around and look. “Three, no, four right behind us. Two or three, maybe more in the trees.” Then suddenly, “kunai on the left.” The boy gripped his father’s left shoulder to accentuate his statement.

Kakashi dodged, wishing he could use his hands. “Kasumi,” he said, “can you hold onto me by yourself?”

Kasumi nodded in response, lacing his little hands into Kakashi’s gray flak jacket. Kakashi tentatively let go of his son and, when he saw that Kasumi was firmly attached to him, grasped several shuriken out of his pouch. He stopped and turned, brandishing them threateningly. 

“Shuriken?” One of the men taunted, “I expected better from a Hokage, retired or not.”

Kakashi waited a moment for Mei to get into position and then let the projectiles fly, duplicating them instantly. Meanwhile, a thin layer of acid mist appeared right in front of the ninja following them. Several of the ninja, stopping for the acid, only shifted their positions to avoid the path of the poorly aimed shuriken. As the shuriken sailed, spinning through the mist wall, the acid deteriorated the thin points of the stars, throwing drops of melted metal and acid everywhere as they continued to turn. 

“My eyes,” one ninja screamed as he dropped to the ground. Several more of the followers cried out, their voices high and piercing. The group of ninja on the road stopped dead, more of them covering their faces with their hands as the shuriken passed. The acid burned through their clothing to the skin.

“Was that batch particularly acidic?” Kakashi asked as they took off once more into the trees.

“Nobody underestimates _my_ husband,” Mei said, face set.

“Drop,” Kakashi called. The two kage fell out of the trees to the ground as a wind jutsu cut through the branches. Many severed branches and leaves rained down into their path. Kakashi dodged and weaved through them, conscious of the extra space he needed to leave for his sons who were still clinging to him like monkeys.

Mei, seeing a large clearing on the road ahead, blasted the branches out of her way using water projectiles. Kakashi was ahead of her and she hurried to catch up.

“Get ahead of me,” the silver-haired ninja called, noting the soaked ground. Mei pushed more chakra into her feet as she rushed to comply. As soon as she was on dry ground with her daughters still in her arms, Kakashi weaved some signs.

When the ninja behind them began to cross the drenched area, Kakashi released a lightning storm, using the water to conduct the technique even further. The one stream of lightning that shot from his hands separated into two bolts, then those bolts divided as well. The snakes of lightning danced off of the water and raced into the sky as they spread. The bolts lit up the area until it was too bright to look at.

Kasumi and Roka buried their faces in Kakashi’s vest to avoid the bright light. It was just as well, since most of the ninja who had been hit by the lightning instantly dropped dead. A rumble followed, low at first, then building louder and louder until it was overwhelming. Mei could feel that thunder in her chest as if it was her own beating heart. Then the light and noise dissipated and it was just her husband left standing, facing the men and women who meant to take their family from them. His arms were wrapped awkwardly around himself, holding his sons in place since they’d let go of his vest in favor of covering their ears to block out the noise.

Roka recovered first, removing his hands from his ears and blinking at the clearing over his father’s shoulder. He grasped the man’s shoulders instantly, realizing his lapse, and Kakashi released him, wrapping his now free hand around his trembling second-born.

“It’s alright Kasumi,” Kakashi said reassuringly. He closed his eyes and sighed, “I’m so-”

“Kakashi,” Mei said warningly.

“I know,” he replied, eyes snapping open. He squinted at the sight of some late would-be kidnappers only now entering the far side of the clearing. “Roka, hold on tight.” Kakashi felt small hands adjust their grip on the pack straps.

Kakashi and Mei took off down the road side by side.

After several hours of continuous running the sun began to set. They hadn’t heard from their adversaries in awhile but that didn’t mean anything. “How are you doing?” Mei asked.

Kakashi grunted in response.

Mei’s eyes widened. Worry creased her brow.

“It’s getting dark and we’re going to have to run through the night. It’s not good,” Kakashi summarized. He paused for a moment and asked, “is Roka asleep?”

Mei checked her stride a bit to get behind her husband to look at their son. After a moment she matched his pace again saying, “yes.”

Kakashi nodded. “We can’t fight like this, not with our children here. There’s nowhere safe that we can leave them and if we do anything too big we put them at risk.”

“We’re not _leaving_ them anywhere,” Mei snarled.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Kakashi said, voice even. “What I’m saying is this doesn’t leave us with many options. We can’t run all day and night until we reach the Leaf. If Pakkun gets delayed for any reason we need a backup plan.”

“I could create a barrier of lava around us until help arrives,” Mei offered.

“While I pass out from the heat and we find out the hard way which of our children has your bloodline limit? No, I think not,” Kakashi responded, his fatigue making him sardonic. 

Mei flicked her hair out of her face in irritation. “You may pass out anyway,” she muttered.

Kakashi sighed but didn’t respond, focusing instead on putting one foot in front of the other.

After a minute Mei said, “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for.”

“We’re both tired,” Kakashi said smoothly. He almost chuckled. “Normally I’d say we should try talking about it again in the morning when we’ve gotten some sleep but I don’t think it’ll work in this situation.”

Mei smirked and carefully maneuvered closer to Kakashi, giving him a peck on the cheek mid-stride.

Kakashi smiled at her with his eyes. “That will keep me going. Besides, can’t give up now,” Kakashi joked, but weariness was already settling over his face like a veil.

 _You never do,_ Mei thought as they ran on through the night. 


	6. Flight: Part 2

The sun rose the next morning on the Hatake family still on the road. It would have been significantly more romantic for Kakashi and Mei if either of them had actually watched it come up or if they hadn’t been running all night.

Kakashi was steadfastly watching the ground directly in front of his feet. He was more interested in stretching out his senses for a nearby enemy than watching the road ahead. 

Mei, similarly, was keeping an eye on their pace and visually scanning their surroundings. There shouldn’t be anywhere for the enemy to hide now that the family was out of the previous forest but they could still approach from below or above. She kept an eye on that too in case Kakashi slipped up.

She glanced over at her husband. After this night she was convinced that Leaf ninja could run in their sleep. Kakashi’s eyes were only half open, staring blankly at the ground in front of him. His breathing came in even pants and he didn’t seem to be aware of her. He just kept running, on and on in such an even way that he could have been asleep and someone else was controlling his legs. The only indication that he was conscious was when there’d be a crack or hole in the road. Mei would open her mouth to warn him but he’d side-step it gracefully and keep on. They’d long-since tied their sons to Kakashi so that the two of them could let go and sleep without Kakashi having to carry them. Mei’s own arms seemed to be locked into place, holding her daughters who were constantly entertained by the scenery flashing by.

Mei frowned as another enemy chakra signature came to her attention. The enemy was doubling their speed and trying to flank them. With the slow pace at which she and Kakashi were going, the enemy had time for breaks and could catch up easily. _This can’t go on,_ Mei thought, glancing over as Kakashi stumbled on a rock. He caught himself but his facial expression did not change. The coldness of that look made her shiver. It was hard and unforgiving.

“Kakashi,” Mei said gently. His eyes briefly flicked over to her to show he was listening. But Mei was suddenly looking ahead and her breath caught in her throat. She ran harder than ever. “Kakashi,” she repeated, excited now. They both felt it.

Kakashi raised his head to look and a little warmth crept into his eyes. They would soon be leaving the plains and entering another forest but that wasn’t what Kakashi or Mei were looking at. Far ahead on the road running toward them were two figures, one of which looked like he was covered in orange flames.

Kakashi’s eyes flicked to the left side of the road where trees had started to allow the enemy to conceal themselves. “On our left,” Kakashi said.

“Yes, I feel him,” Mei replied tersely as she noticed several of the enemy’s signatures plummet into nothingness.

“Boys wake up,” Kakashi said faintly. Just the same, Kasumi stirred and opened his eyes. Roka was also soon awake and peering around.

Kasumi looked up fearfully into his father’s face. “Are you okay Daddy?” The boy’s lip trembled and Kakashi imagined what he must look like to his three year-old son.

“Daddy’s fine,” Kakashi said. He wanted to laugh or at least chuckle reassuringly but all that came out was a cough. “But I do need your help. Can you still hold onto me if I untie you?”

Kakashi felt Roka nod on his back and Kasumi said, “yes Daddy.”

“Good,” Kakashi said, forcing as much cheer into his voice as he could muster, “because guess who’s coming to see you?”

Roka put his head on Kakashi’s shoulder to better see his father’s face. “Who?”

“Let’s see if you can guess,” Kakashi responded as his fingers clumsily undid the ropes. He nodded ahead down the road and Kasumi, now free, twisted around to look ahead of them.

Roka saw them first, “Uncle Naruto and Aunt Sakura!” He shouted this in his father’s ear. Kakashi winced but not enough for Roka to notice. Kasumi was practically jumping up and down and Kakashi wrapped his arms around his son once more to keep him in place. Mei couldn’t help but smile at her boys’ excitement. 

“And you know who else is here?” Kakashi continued, quieting the boys. Mei’s smile became stale. 

“Who?” the silver-haired boys cried together.

“Uncle Sasuke,” Kakashi said, his smile fading a bit when he saw his wife’s look.

“Uncle Sasuke? Where?!” Roka cried, looking ahead again at the approaching Naruto and Sakura.

“He’s in the trees, taking care of some bad ninja so Mommy and I can take care of you,” Kakashi said, looking at Mei pointedly.

Mei looked away, glaring ahead. She didn’t have much time to brood however.

A dozen or so ninja burst out of the trees, fleeing Sasuke’s blade. They were all dressed in white but that didn’t mean much to Kakashi or Mei. No nation would openly go after their children so it was always one rouge group or another. Whether they found out the name of the organization or not depended on if anyone survived the combined wrath of Leaf and Mist.

The white-clad ninja knew that this may be their last chance and threw everything they had at the Hatakes, from poisoned kunai to jutsu. It was a whirlwind of unplanned and ill-timed attacks. The air hummed with fireballs, wind-scythes, and water bullets.

Mei spun to return fire when Kakashi grabbed her arm and pulled her into a crouch. Sasuke landed so close that he was almost between the parents as Naruto’s Rasen-shuriken flew overhead. Sasuke’s eyes flashed and a glowing purple skeleton rose around himself and the Hatake family.

Kakashi pulled Roka off of his back and held both of his sons protectively. Kasumi and Roka made it difficult however, since they were squirming to see Naruto’s famous jutsu in action. Mei, trying to quiet the twins, who’d begun to cry, held them tight and leaned into Kakashi as the Rasen-shuriken did its work.

Sasuke looked back to check on his sensei’s family. Kakashi looked like he’d aged about ten years. Besides that the only thing that appeared to be wrong with him was that he was panting profusely and had a cut on his right arm. Mei also looked exhausted and was unbending and re-bending her arms now that she’d set the twins down. However she was also glaring at Sasuke with cold fire in her eyes. Sasuke was used to this and, knowing that a smile from him did anything but reassure her, simply nodded.

“Lady Mei,” said a voice at her elbow. Mei practically jumped out of her skin but tried not to show it. She’d been so focused on Sasuke that she hadn’t even noticed when Sakura had arrived. The medical kunoichi was right beside her though, looking her and her daughters over. She unpacked the diaper bag as she went. “Are you hurt? How are Fujita and Hisano?” The girls had stopped crying now that food was forthcoming. They grasped at Sakura’s pink locks as she smiled down at them. Sasuke smirked at the sight.

All Mei could think to say was, “Kakashi’s been poisoned.”

The smiles flew from Sakura and Sasuke’s faces. Sakura looked up in time to see Kakashi flop over on his side next to his sons, hissing as right arm was jostled. Sakura scrabbled over to him, shooing the pale boys aside. That left Sasuke to change and feed the twins, which he did as expeditiously as possible.

Kasumi was almost in tears but Mei soon had both him and Roka in her arms, whispering reassurances to them. “It’s okay, everything’s going to be okay. Aunt Sakura’s going to take care of Daddy and-” she paused, looking Sasuke in the eye, “and Uncle Sasuke will protect you.”

Sasuke’s reshaped eyes widened but he said nothing. She didn’t usually give him that much credit. Her eyes however made one thing perfectly clear, _you’d better do as I said._

“Kakashi-sensei,” Sakura said. “Can you hear me?” She carefully flipped him onto his back going straight for the wound Mei had dressed earlier.

“I can hear fine Sakura,” Kakashi replied softly. He slowly continued, “the poison is meant to subdue and subdue a child at that. I’m fine.” His eyes were half-closed and unfocused.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Sakura retorted. “How long have you been running?” She began work on healing his shoulder. Sakura was both irritated and relieved to discover that Kakashi had been right about the poison. Most of it had even been worked out of his system already. However, it had stolen some much-needed stamina during their ultra marathon run. Sakura observed that Mei was in much better shape even if she’d used more chakra.

“Are Mei and the children alright?” Kakashi asked faintly.

“Yes, but you didn’t answer my question,” Sakura said, mending the blisters on Kakashi’s feet. Kakashi sighed in relief.

“Ask my wife,” Kakashi said, fading. His eyes closed and his breathing became slow and deep. As he drifted off he thought, _never thought it’d be so good to hear the voices of my cute little genin._

Sakura smiled as her sensei fell asleep mid-healing. It wasn’t the first time but she certainly hoped it’d be the last. _Then again,_ she thought, _that’s what I’d hoped last time too._

“Daddy-” Roka began but Mei shushed him.

“Roka, remember how we talked about Daddy taking a nap?”

Roka’s eyes widened and his silver eyebrows shot into his hairline as he slapped both hands over his own mouth.

Mei laughed. “Well, that’s the long and short of it, yes.” 

“Kakashi-sensei, Mei!” Naruto called as he hurried over. Sasuke dropped his guard and the world returned to colors that weren’t so purple in hue.

“And here comes the other four year-old,” Sakura muttered.

“Such disrespect from a subordinate,” Mei teased.

Sasuke “humphed” but he was smiling.

“Sensei’s asleep Naruto. He and Lady Mei have been running all night if not longer,” Sakura paused and turned to Mei for confirmation of her guess. Mei nodded and Sakura continued, “so don’t harass them.”

Naruto’s brow creased in a frown as he heard this and saw Kakashi stretched out on the ground. “Is everyone okay?”

“We’re fine thanks to you three and Pakkun,” Mei said, grudgingly bestowing her gratitude on Sasuke as well.

Naruto brightened at hearing this. Sakura cut into his victory speech before he could even begin. “Lady Mei needs her rest too, but Naruto has to get back to the village.” She glared at him in a, _stop trying to avoid your responsibilities,_ sort of way.

“Shikamaru can handle it,” Naruto muttered.

Sakura rolled her eyes. _Troublesome_ , Sakura quoted in her mind.

“I think what Sakura is trying to say,” Sasuke cut in, “is that we need to hurry back to the Leaf. How would you prefer your family to travel Lady Mei?” Sasuke put this as politely as he could. 

Mei wanted to say, not by snake, but even her tired mind knew that that was going too far. Instead she said, “I think we’d prefer by toad-back, if that’s alright with Naruto?”

Naruto grinned, summoning Gamakichi almost before Mei finished her sentence.

“What’s up Naruto?” the great toad asked, eyeing the crowd. Then he saw where Naruto had been fighting. There were trees blasted to bits and large craters still smoking. “Looks like I missed all the action.”

“I’m afraid so,” Naruto said. “I was wondering if you could give us a ride. Kakashi-sensei and Mei are in rough shape.”

“To the Leaf? Sure thing.” Gamakichi said. “Don’t tell Dad though, he says I’m spoiling you.”

Naruto and Sasuke grasped their sensei by the arms and jumped onto Gamakichi’s back where they laid him down once more. Mei and Sakura followed, carrying the boys and twins respectively.

Mei laid herself wearily down next to Kakashi and laughed when their children instantly maneuvered to cuddle in between them. She kissed each of them on the forehead and then laid down her head. She drifted off to the thrum of Gamakichi’s leaps bringing them closer and closer to the Leaf. 

“So?” Sasuke said once the Hatake family was resting comfortably.

“So what?” Naruto responded.

“Did you recognize any of those guys or was this just another rogue group?”

“It’s not another village if that’s what you mean,” Naruto said, glaring at his friend.

“Naruto, we can’t rule out the possibility,” Sakura said, her eyes like emeralds. “The attacks have become more frequent lately and this is the largest group ever.”

“All the more reason that it would be difficult for a village to hide,” Naruto retorted, arms crossed. “You think it’s Mist don’t you?”

Sakura didn’t say anything but Sasuke spoke, “or the Leaf.”

This made both Naruto and Sakura start. “How?” Sakura burst out. Naruto was too angry to speak.

“Don’t you think there’s a reason that Lady Mei won’t let Kakashi raise their children in the Leaf?” Sasuke asked. “Wouldn’t it be much safer for them to grow up inside of a village? Why do they live in the middle of nowhere?” Sasuke answered his own question, “because the threat could come from anywhere. They trust the Hokage,” Sasuke nodded at a still-seething Naruto, “and the Mizukage but every village has at least one or more Danzo-types who are in a position of power. I seem to recall being told that Danzo tried to kill Kakashi at one point for the _sake of the village_.”

Sakura spoke quietly, “Sasuke, the closest person we have, that is, the person most like Danzo, I mean like what Danzo used to do-”

“I know it’s me Sakura you can say it,” Sasuke agreed. “But in case you haven’t noticed Lady Mei doesn’t exactly trust me.”

“Well you did try to kill her once,” Naruto said trying to make the statement light.

The sitting Hokage didn’t have to mention how Sasuke also tried to kill the rest of Team Seven as well. That, more than anything, was the reason Mei constantly gave Sasuke the cold shoulder.

Sasuke glared at the overcast sky. His loose black pants and shirt flapped in the wind with each of Gamakichi’s leaps. “I need to leave again.”

Sakura immediately said, “what? No! You have a home with us in the Leaf!”

“If I’m the reason that the Hatake family isn’t living in the Leaf, if I’m the reason that Kakashi-sensei is killing himself every other day during his _retirement_ to protect his kids because Mei doesn’t want them in the same village as me, then I need to go!” Sasuke practically shouted.

“You arrogant jerk,” Naruto said quietly. Sasuke started and looked at him. Naruto had fire in his eyes. “Not everything is about you, you know? Kakashi-sensei and Mei made the decision to live outside of BOTH of their home villages. If they weren’t living in the Leaf because of you then why don’t they live in the Mist?”

“Naruto,” Sakura said, “we don’t know enough about the Mist to-”

“You’re right Sakura,” Naruto cut her off, “we don’t know. But is Sasuke also living in the Mist?” When Sakura remained silent Naruto continued, “then the reason sensei and Mei don’t live in either village isn’t because of this prick.” Naruto jerked his thumb at Sasuke. 

Sasuke glared at that thumb but remained silent. He could find multiple faults in Naruto’s logic but none of them shot down the Orange Hokage’s point. Mei and Kakashi could live anywhere, their children welcomed in any village because even in peacetime villages prided themselves on their strength. If the two former kage lived in the middle of nowhere it was because they wanted it that way, not because they wanted to avoid a certain Uchiha.

The three remained silent for the rest of the trip which didn’t take very long via toad-back. “So what’s the plan Lord Hokage?” Sasuke asked, half teasing and half respectful.

Naruto began to smile but then thought about what his old friend had asked. “What do you mean?”

Sakura rolled her eyes. Sasuke explained, “we don’t want to hop right up to Hokage Tower with the entire Hatake family in tow, especially with Kakashi-sensei and Lady Mei out of commission. It doesn’t exactly inspire calm.”

“But I show up at the tower on Gamakichi’s back all the time,” Naruto protested.

“Not with an unconscious Sixth Hokage with you!” Sakura bellowed.

“Oh, right,” Naruto said sheepishly.

“The tunnels then,” Sakura said.

Sasuke nodded and Naruto ran up Gamakichi’s back to his head. “Hey Gamakichi, take us behind Hokage Mountain would you?”

“That’s the longer way around,” Gamakichi pointed out. “I thought you were in a hurry?”

“We are, but we don’t want to make a scene either,” Naruto said.

“Whatever. You got it.”

Ten minutes later they were at the mouth of the emergency exit tunnel connected to Hokage Tower. Naruto bent down to pick Mei up but when he touched her she woke and looked around quickly. Taking in her company she relaxed and she sat up to check on her babies. When Naruto tried to help her up she refused, “I can walk Naruto. I’m not in as bad of shape as my husband.” She critically watched Sasuke pull a lifeless Kakashi onto his back to carry him. Sakura had already rounded up the children and together they climbed down from Gamakichi’s back.

“Thanks a lot Gamakichi,” Naruto said. “I’ll visit you soon okay?”

“No problem, see you around!” Gamakichi vanished leaving a large plume of smoke in his place. As the group approached the tunnel entrance Naruto felt several of the ANBU guards in the trees around them. As soon as they were within viewing range of the door, one guard jumped down to intercept them. Naruto waited as they started the passphrase and he gave the appropriate responses.

The ANBU smiled beneath his mask. “Welcome home Lord Hokage, I see you’ve run into some trouble.”

Kasumi and Roka, knowing what the masks on these men meant, fidgeted. They grasped at Sakura’s skirt as she reassured them. Fujita and Hisano, however, found the painted lines on the masks fascinating, staring at them without fear from their place in Sakura’s arms.

“No trouble, just a family matter,” Naruto said brightly. Mei smiled gratefully at him. 

The ANBU took the hint and let them pass. Naruto passed with a smile, followed by a tired Mei, and Sakura shooing the boys inside of the tunnel. Sasuke glared at the ANBU, daring them to ask why the sixth Hokage was unconscious on his back, before carrying Kakashi inside.

When they entered the tower itself they made their way to the guest rooms. Any Hokage could live in the tower as long as they wished and there were always rooms available. Shikamaru met them in the hall. “Hey I- what happened?” He was looking at Kakashi slung over Sasuke’s shoulder and Mei looking dead on her feet.

“They had a long day,” Sasuke deadpanned.

Shikamaru turned to Naruto to get a clearer answer. Naruto said, “they ran all night. Kakashi-sensei got poisoned. Everything’s fine but they’re pretty worn out.”

“But their kids aren’t,” Sakura said brightly. Mischief gleamed in her eyes. “Guys, how would you like to play with Uncle Shikamaru!”

Shikamaru’s eyes widened. “Actually I was about to go on my official nap break.”

“Nap break?” Sakura asked.

“You’re telling me Lady Tsunade didn’t have one?” Shikamaru challenged.

That shut Sakura up.

“You don’t get an official nap break,” Naruto said and when Shikamaru opened his mouth Naruto continued, “and I dissolve any official nap break policy you instituted while in my absence.”

Shikamaru would have been upset if his shock left room for any other emotion. Sakura and Sasuke craned their necks to look at their teammate. He turned to them and scratched his head smiling, “sensei was a good Hokage and a good teacher.”

“Anyway Shikamaru,” Sakura said handing the twins to him, “you need the practice.” She winked at him and continued down the hall to open the door for Naruto and Sasuke.

Shikamaru’s eyes bugged out. “Sakura? Sakura what do you mean by that?”

As Sasuke passed he looked around his burden and said, “I think you know exactly what she means by that.”

As Naruto passed he said, “congratulations,” with a huge grin on his face. Naruto offered Mei his arm as they continued down the hall and into the guest rooms. 

Shikamaru followed looking at the twins in his arms, their green eyes staring up at him. “I’m sorry ladies,” he said walking into the guest rooms and placing them next to their brothers who were already building a nest out of the blankets, “I’d love to play shadow puppets with you but I- I’ve got to get home.” Face ashen, Shikamaru ran from the rooms.

“Sakura,” Naruto said as Sasuke laid Kakashi down with Mei’s help, “is Temari really pregnant?”

Sakura answered with a cheer-filled smile.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Sasuke asked.

“I only found out right before Pakkun showed up with the news about Kakashi so there wasn’t really time to say anything,” Sakura said. Giving the room a once-over she said, “come on, let’s let them sleep.” Even the kids were tired after all, snuggling up together in a big heap.

As Sakura closed the door behind them, two ANBU appeared out of nowhere and stood by the door. Naruto nodded his approval.

Sasuke smirked and thought, _showoff._

As if he could hear him, Naruto turned around and grinned cheekily. Sakura slapped them both, lightly, upside the head.

“Well,” Naruto said stretching, “since Shikamaru is distracted from my paperwork for once, how about some ramen?” 


	7. Mei's Dream

Mei woke at dawn once again. It was still raining but she could see the dull glow of the sun rising out her window. Occasionally a streak of lightning would shoot across the sky followed by a resonating boom. She closed her eyes and stretched out her hand to one side of the bed and then the other. Nothing there, nobody there. The warm fuzzy feeling that the dream had given her faded away into an empty ache. 

_Just a dream,_ Mei told herself sternly. _Don’t be stupid._

She got up out of bed and washed her face in the bathroom sink. As she patted her face dry with a towel she pressed her face into the softness of it and held it there. She stood like that for several moments, letting the towel absorb her tears.

_But it was_ that _dream again._

Mei saw herself married and laughing. She was dressed all in white and held a cascading bouquet that she’d throw any second. The other kage were around her celebrating, happy for her.

She threw the towel away from her and stalked back into her bedroom.

She’d had this dream before with different people surrounding her: family, friends. It was as if it was always the same wedding but she’d just come in at a different part. Although since the war it had become more of a nightmare. Every time she woke up it was frightening. _Was she really awake? Was she just caught in the **dream** again?_

Then she’d check just to see if there was anyone sleeping with her. Maybe, just maybe it was a memory and not a dream, but no, she was not married. She was not even dating anyone. Mei sighed and sat on her bed. At least this way she knew that she was in the real world. 

But this was all old hat, it had happened before. What really worried her was this change in her dream. Before, her groom had always been a faceless, nameless man. She couldn’t really imagine anyone she knew being in his place so his face had always remained blank or without form. That’s what made the dream all the more depressing. Tonight, however…

Mei stood up and began to pace around the room. She was in the Mizukage Tower in a guest room. Her cottage had burned down and…he had come. Kakashi Hatake. He always seemed to appear out of nowhere. More than once he’d helped her…

“Stop it,” Mei said to herself, resuming her pacing. “You don’t even know him.”

But the fact remained. Kakashi had been the groom in her dream just now. That was what so disturbed her. It was his face she was smiling up at, his kind eyes that looked at her. This had never happened before. She’d always wanted to be married, have children, but the village needed her, then she became Mizukage. There wasn’t room for much else in her life. Besides, how would one even go about dating the Mizukage? _They’re all too scared of me,_ Mei thought.

_He isn’t,_ responded her positive inner voice. They had been on two dates, sort of.

“He’s just being kind,” Mei argued. “He’s an excellent diplomat; making people feel cared for while emotionally keeping his distance.”

Mei closed her eyes and sighed.

“This is stupid,” Mei said. “I’m going back to bed.”

_And if you dream of him again?_

Mei stopped walking toward her bed. Maybe she should just get ready for the day. She shook herself and continued toward the bed with a determined stride. It didn’t matter. It made no difference.

_You have feelings for him._

_And WHAT IF I DO?!_ Mei’s mind shouted back at the positive part of her. _There’s nothing I can do about it. I’m certain he’s indifferent so don’t even start._ After a moment Mei thought, _what would he want with me anyway? There are plenty of available kunoichi in the Leaf. I’m sure he has his choice._

_But who would want to date a former Hokage?_ The voice pressed. Mei scowled at the optimistic side of herself. She always ended up getting hurt because of the hope it instilled in her.

She sat down on her bed, alone in the dark. “Why do they make beds so big?” Mei asked her silent room. 


	8. After Naruto's Coronation

“It was very kind of you to come Lady Mizukage,” Kakashi said as they walked down the stairs together. The various ceremonies for Naruto’s coronation had concluded the day before and the guests were beginning to depart. 

“I was delighted to receive an invitation Lord Sixth,” Mei replied with a polite smile. Her various masks had come in handy during the last few days. She seemed to spend an unusual amount of time with this man. She’d even tried to get away from him a few times on purpose. She couldn’t have people realizing that Kakashi made her feel…

“Please call me Kakashi,” he said easily. “There’s no point in the titles now that we’re both retired.”

“Kakashi,” Mei repeated back at him. She felt her face grow hot and turned away from him, pretending to look out at the village. “It was good seeing you Kakashi,” Mei said only half looking at him. They were in the street now and there were no more pleasantries to exchange. 

The Fifth Mizukage turned to leave, to head toward the gate and not come back until…when? Something twisted in Kakashi’s gut at the thought of all that time between them. His heart was thumping in his chest. Before he even knew what was happening Kakashi heard himself say, “when can I see you again?”

Mei stopped in her tracks.

_I’ve frightened her. Why would I say that?! What is wrong with me?! Calm down, at least wait for her to respond._

Mei turned around and looked at the Sixth Hokage. He appeared the same as ever to her and yet there was something off. He was wearing his formal Hokage jacket, as he had throughout the past few days of ceremonies and dinners, but that wasn’t it. _His face is a little pinker? No, that was different but not the different she’d noticed._ _What is it?_

 _He looks desperate,_ the optimistic voice in her head popped up. Mei shoved that thought down with, _he’s not interested in me. That would be too much to hope for._

“I-I mean,” Kakashi began but he stopped cold because Mei was looking at him now with a blank expression hastily slapped onto her face.

 _Here comes the explanation,_ Mei thought sadly. Then Mei’s eyes narrowed in disbelief, _is he stuttering?_

“I-” Kakashi began again and Mei waited, not even daring to breathe. Then she could have sworn she heard him say the words, “I want to see you again, soon.”

Mei blinked at him. She worked her jaw but no words came out. _Get ahold of yourself._ The auburn-haired woman swallowed and said, “I want to see you again too. It’s always a pleasure to see you…and the Leaf.” _Always a pleasure to see you?! What does that even mean?!_

“I see,” Kakashi replied evenly. He was looking at the ground in front of her, his shoulders slouching a little more. His posture distressed her.

“Take me to dinner!” Mei practically shouted at him without thinking. She felt the blood drain from her face. Now, she was sure, she was done for. Her head was completely empty of thought, she was expecting it to float away at any moment. What was happening? She was too old to be acting this way, wasn’t she? 

Kakashi’s head snapped up. His dark eyes were fixed on her, disbelieving.

Mei tried to do damage control and forced a laugh, “oh um, I mean, that is,” she took a strangled breath but it didn’t help.

“I would love to.” Kakashi’s eyes were heavy on her own, locking them into place.

“Really?” Mei whispered. She could barely hear the word herself so she wasn’t sure how Kakashi could. Still, he nodded slowly at her. Mei recovered by degrees. It was hard to breathe when he was looking at her so intently. Finally she managed to say, “as colleagues?” She pulled her gaze away from his face and stared at the dirt.

“No,” he replied. Mei looked up at him. He was shaking his head slowly, his eyes never leaving her face. “Most definitely not.”

Mei found herself frozen once again, unable to react. Her mouth wouldn’t move. It was hanging open but she didn’t care. _This can’t be real,_ Mei thought frantically. She took a step away from him, then another. _That’s it! This is a dream, it must be!_

“Mei?” It was his voice again.

 _I’m dreaming about his voice now!_ The dream was closing in, making the edges of her vision dark, it was hard to breathe. Mei knew she’d wake up any second. She shook her head and covered her face with her hands. The kunoichi took a slow breath and let it out, then another.

“Mei are you alright?!” Kakashi’s hand touched her arm.

Mei jerked her arm away instinctively at an odd angle. She heard and felt her dress rip at the sleeve’s seam but she didn’t care. Her eyes snapped open behind her hands. _I felt his touch. That’s real isn’t it?_

Mei slowly withdrew her hands. He was standing right in front of her with his arms spread and elbows bent as if to pacify an unapproachable being. This was not going the way he had hoped. 

Mei looked at him standing there and shook her head angrily. _This isn’t happening._ Mei’s breath began to come in quick gasps. Her head kept turning from side to side as if she were looking for something around Kakashi, not wanting to look right at him. Her vision began to grow hazy and Mei closed her eyes to clear them. However, instead of orienting herself, the world felt like it was tipping into a dark abyss. 

The last thing Mei remembered was blackness and Kakashi calling her name. She sighed inwardly, dreading her large bed and dark room. It had been such a nice dream…

000000

Mei woke up and wanted to cry. She refused to open her eyes, not this time. This time it was too much, too real, too tempting. Grimacing, Mei went through the ritual. She stretched her hands out and was surprised to find that the bed ended much sooner than expected. As her fingers continued to probe, they discovered rails at the sides of her too-small bed. The more it puzzled her the more she stretched out her senses, curiosity overcoming her unwillingness to leave the memory of the dream. She could smell antiseptic, hear the beeping of monitors, the muffled sounds of discussions down the hall. _Am I in a hospital?_

“Lady Mei, are you awake?”

Mei knew that voice. Her eyes opened to see Naruto’s wife, Hinata, sitting next to her. The woman’s pale eyes were filled with concern.

In seconds one of Mei’s own aides hurried over, from where she’d been pacing, to Mei’s other side. Mei looked between them, confused. “What’s going on here?” Mei asked.

Hinata started to say something but Suzu, Mei’s aide, cut in. “Atrocities my Lady Fifth, we’re leaving here at once.” 

Hinata’s kind voice was suddenly ringed with steal, “no one is leaving until this gets sorted out. We don’t even know what happened.” 

“I think we know enough,” Suzu said snappishly.

Hinata rose slowly. Her eyes activated and Suzu took a step backward. “Do you even-”

“Hinata, calm down,” Mei said in her most commanding voice. She’d never seen Hinata like this, it was truly frightening. The kunoichi sheathed her Byakugan but did not sit back down. Mei continued, “what is going on?”

“Poor thing,” Suzu muttered, “doesn’t even know.”

“Suzu, if you aren’t going to speak plainly then please don’t speak at all,” Mei barked. “Now could somebody please tell me why I’m in the hospital?”

Hinata, calmer now but still glaring at Suzu, began, “I found you in a side-street-”

“An alley you mean,” Suzu chimed in darkly.

Mei’s brain was working in overdrive. _It wasn’t a dream? It was real?!_

Hinata continued through clenched teeth, “you were unconscious and Kakashi-sensei was holding you-” Mei’s face grew warm but her visitors didn’t seem to notice.

“Lecherous filth,” Suzu spat.

Hinata’s eyes seem to activate of their own accord. Her voice was like ice, “how dare you.”

“How else did Lady Mei’s dress get ripped then? You answer me that!” Suzu demanded.

Mei felt at the rip in her sleeve, it was right next to her bodice. _Oh dear._

“Suzu, shut up, this is a misunderstanding. Hinata, where is Kakashi? You need to take me to him.” Mei sat up, her mind clear.

“He was being escorted to interrogation room three when I left them to accompany you to the hospital,” Hinata said calmly as Mei stood up and made for the door.

“What?! Why?” Mei asked but before Hinata could answer Mei answered it herself. “Don’t tell me,” she could see it all in her head now. She spoke it aloud as Hinata lead the way out of the hospital. “They asked him what happened? He told them we were just talking. They asked him what about and he clammed up. Something like that?”

Hinata nodded. The memory of Kakashi-sensei’s bloodless face when they’d been found flashed into her mind’s eye. He’d begged her to help him, something about Mei fainting, and that was when the Mist ninja arrived. “What _were_ you two talking about Lady Mei?” Hinata asked.

“It was a private matter,” Mei responded, the lie coming easily. “I asked him not to speak of it to anyone.”

“Oh dear,” Hinata said. “And the Mist delegation took his silence for a sign of guilt.”

Mei agreed, “a fine mess I’ve made of things.” If she’d known something like this would happen, she would have chosen her traveling party differently.

“And the reason you fainted?” Hinata asked.

They’d reached the Interrogation building. Mei punched the door in without breaking stride, “I wasn’t feeling well.”

When they reached the third cell chamber Mei didn’t have to ask, the Leaf ninja at the door opened it for her instantly. Naruto’s angry voice spilled out into the hall.

Mei strode into the room with Hinata in her wake. There was a plain wooden table in the middle of the large empty room with one light hanging directly above it. The table had two chairs but only the left one was occupied. Kakashi sat there, staring at the grains in the table intently. Naruto stood behind him and to his right, Ibiki the same to Kakashi’s left. Naruto looked furious, glaring at the Mist ninja in front of him.

On the other side of the table stood half of Mei’s traveling party which included two Mist Black Operatives, two assistants, and one of her advisors that Chojuro didn’t take on when she’d retired. Shikamaru stood on the side of the table that was furthest from the door so that he was in between the two factions.

Mei strode forward, unleashing the storm of indignation that had built up behind her as she’d marched over from the hospital. “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!”

Naruto stopped talking immediately. Mei’s advisor recoiled, her Black Ops ninja didn’t react. Ibiki didn’t look any more or less stern than he had before. Shikamaru looked relieved.

“Hisa,” Mei addressed her advisor, “how dare you accuse the Sixth Hokage of anything? You have no facts, just a discrepancy you wanted to see.”

“But Lady Mizukage, the Hokage wouldn’t explain what you two were doing in that alley, or anything for that matter,” Hisa said, glaring at Kakashi. Kakashi remained unmoved, a blank but focused expression firmly on his face as he stared at the table.

Kakashi’s quiet acceptance of this abuse further infuriated her. “We were discussing a personal matter. I had requested that he not mention it to anyone. I then fell ill but you wouldn’t know that because you couldn’t wait fifteen minutes for me to revive,” Mei leveled at him. “Was I on my deathbed? Was I not going to be able to explain things, or not, as the case may be? Was Kakashi fleeing the village?” 

Shikamaru’s head tilted to the side the tiniest bit. _Kakashi? Not, Lord Hokage? Or Lord Sixth?_ Shikamaru filed this information away for later.

Kakashi straightened in his seat a little but he still did not raise his eyes. 

“But Lady Mizukage,” Hisa sputtered.

“What?” Mei growled. Her embarrassment had turned to anger and she was going to use it for all it was worth.

“How did your dress get torn?”

Kakashi’s breathing stilled.

“I tore it earlier, before the last ceremony. I lacked a spare and time to have it repaired so I wore it anyway.” Mei looked around the room. “Does anyone have any more questions?”

Naruto grinned at Shikamaru. The Mist Black Ops said nothing. “No, Lady Mizukage,” Hisa said.

“Good,” Mei said, “then I would like to speak to Lord Sixth alone. I owe him an apology for my over-eager staff. I believe two adults can have a private conversation without a scandal arising?”

Naruto gave Kakashi’s shoulder a squeeze but he only tilted his head slightly in Naruto’s direction in response. The Leaf and Mist ninja filed out separately. When the door closed, Mei approached Kakashi. She couldn’t wait to be alone with him again but now that she was, terror overwhelmed her.

While Mei struggled with her words Kakashi spoke, still staring at the table, “are you alright Lady Mizukage?”

Something in Mei’s heart wilted at his formality, the cold calculation of the inquiry. She adopted a mask of indifference to hide the pain it caused her. “Yes, thank you. I am so sorry that this misunderstanding took place Lord Hokage.”

Kakashi stood and leveled his eyes at her. Mei stared at him. She could have imagined the entire conversation in the street, doubt still lingered that it had happened at all, but she could not make believe the look he was giving her now. It was still caring and full of warmth.

“Kakashi, thank you for-” Mei began and silenced herself, Kakashi had shook his head at her the tiniest bit.

Mei frowned and Kakashi said, “these rooms are wired Lady Mei, perhaps we can continue _that_ conversation elsewhere?”

Mei’s mouth dropped open but she mastered herself and said, “lead the way.” She followed him out of the building and into the street in a daze. _What does he have to say to me that he couldn’t say in there?_

Kakashi took Mei to a restaurant that was off the beaten track. As soon as the owner saw Kakashi he summoned a waiter to cover his duties and took them to a private room in the back.

When menus had been deposited and the door shut behind him, Mei said, “how did you know about this back room?”

Kakashi stood up and proceeded to check the seal tags hidden in the walls. “Jiraiya and I used to come here if we had anything truly sensitive to discuss. Don’t ask me how Jiraiya found out about it. For all I know he set it up.”

Mei waited patiently for him to finish. However, the longer she watched him the more nervous Kakashi became. Once he couldn’t think of any other way to stall, he faced Mei and sat down.

Mei ignored the butterflies in her stomach and said, “thank you Kakashi, for not- I mean, what I mean to say is, thank you for not explaining what really happened.”

“What do you think ‘really happened’ Mei?” Kakashi said softly. He couldn’t quite meet her eyes. His shoulders were tease, his guard up.

Mei’s butterflies froze mid-flight and dropped to the pit of her stomach. “I-I um-”

Kakashi looked at her suddenly and threw caution to the wind, “because I was trying to ask you out on a date, clumsy as it was, and then you fainted.”

Mei blushed deeply. She felt that she might float away again. “Kakashi I-”

“I’m sorry if you’re not interested I just, I want to see you more and I couldn’t stand not telling you.” Kakashi had his eyes fixed on the table again. “Don’t feel that you have to accept for the sake of politics. It’s perfectly understandable that you aren’t interested.”

Mei realized with a burst of joy that he was afraid. He was afraid she’d reject him, afraid that her fainting was some sign of her aversion to him. “I am interested,” Mei said with a grin on her face. The knot in her stomach unwound, she felt as light as a ray of sunshine.

Mei enjoyed the surprise on Kakashi’s face as his hopeful eyes met hers. Then that look in his eyes vanished and became guarded. “You’re interested, just not now.”

“No, now is fine.” Mei was shocked at how easy talking about this was. All of her pent up emotions were flowing freely within and out of her.

“With me?” Kakashi clarified.

“Yes.”

“You’re sure?” Kakashi pressed.

Mei giggled, “Hatake Kakashi, are you trying to talk me out of dating you?”

“No,” Kakashi said, his eyes creased with a smile she couldn’t fully see, “I’m just having a hard time believing it.”

Mei smiled kindly at him, “that’s how I felt when you were trying to talk to me in the alley. I’m afraid I lost my head.” Mei was blushing again.

Kakashi’s eyes widened. “You fainted because of that?”

Mei nodded. She was hiding her mouth with her hand. Her green eyes danced with amusement at herself, at the situation, at the world in general. Everything was wonderful. 

Kakashi looked somber. “I am so very sorry. I would have never- I mean if I’d known-”

Mei laughed. “I’m the one who’s sorry. My people accusing you of…that. Naruto must have been furious.” 

Kakashi leaned back, running a hand through his hair. He sighed loudly as if he’d been holding his breath. “You have no idea.” Kakashi was silent for a moment, then he frowned. “I was so afraid.”

Mei looked serious again, “of what?”

“I don’t know. I was trying to tell you how I felt and then,” Kakashi paused, scratching the back of his head. “You weren’t okay and that terrified me. It unhinged my entire thought process.”

“When one of your students got hurt you didn’t worry?” Mei asked.

“No, I do, that’s not it at all,” Kakashi looked at the table, then up at her. “It was different. I don’t…feel this way about people, not like that. I fear for their safety but then I do something about it. Today I just froze.” 

Mei was dying to know what he meant by “like that” but the owner of the restaurant chose that moment to return. The conversation was broken up as he asked if they wanted to order.

Kakashi looked at Mei. “You wanted to get dinner, here we are,” Kakashi said as lightly as he could manage. In this woman’s company he was frantically grasping for his usual composure. 

“You order,” Mei encouraged. “You know what’s good.”

Kakashi ordered for both of them and the proprietor retreated.

“So what,” Mei started a new thread, “you’re saying you don’t date?”

“No,” Kakashi replied honestly. After a long pause he added, “I’m kind of married to my village.”

“That’s funny,” Mei replied raising her glass, “so am I.”


	9. Maybe

Naruto was moving on to the next scroll on his desk when a ninja from the coding division came in.

“Lord Hokage,” he said, “an urgent missive from the Mist.”

Naruto and Kakashi both looked up. Then Kakashi smiled at his own mistake. He was slowly getting used to the fact that he wasn’t the only Lord Hokage in the village anymore. It was actually kind of comforting. However, Naruto’s expression upon reading the scroll put Kakashi on edge.

“What is it?” Sakura inquired.

“Mei’s house burned down,” Naruto said continuing to frown as he read.

“Is she alright?” Kakashi blurted out instantly. He reigned in his expression when he saw the shocked looks on his students’ faces. 

_Of course she’s alright otherwise Naruto would have led with that news,_ Kakashi thought quickly, chastising his overreaction. 

Adopting a more serious expression and tone Kakashi asked, “was it an accident or arson?”

Apparently he’d been too forceful in changing the subject. Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto, who had turned their attention back to the scroll, all looked at him again, enquiringly. Kakashi quickly threw up defenses. “Lady Mei uses the lava style.” _Of course they know that! Just move on._ “I’m simply wondering if it was an accident or someone meant her harm. If the latter, then something has to be done.” 

Naruto nodded and looked back down at the scroll. Sasuke however, stared at his sensei, suspicion growing in his eyes.

“Mei came to no harm and it appears to be an accident,” Naruto said. “Or so it’s reported. I’ll send-”

“Me. I’ll go,” Kakashi broke in. This time all three of his students looked suspicious.

Naruto frowned, “don’t you think you’d better stay here sensei? I mean, it’s not like you’re a regular jonin anymore. I don’t just send you out on missions.”

“And you’re not,” Kakashi said, regaining some of his composure but there was no fooling them now. Sakura’s look was now part mischievous and part wary. The look of suspicion on Sasuke’s face became even more apparent. Even Naruto’s confusion was giving way to a more knowing look. “But I’m not doing anything right now and what better way to express goodwill than to send a former kage to aid a fellow former kage?”

“So what you’re saying,” Sakura said, hands on hips, “is that you want to go see Lady Mei?”

 _Is Sasuke grinning? That’s actually a little weird,_ Kakashi thought surveying his students. “I want to be a good diplomat,” Kakashi tried correcting, “isn’t that what us former kage are supposed to do?” This seemed to have the opposite effect of what he intended however, as Naruto openly grinned.

“Alright sensei,” Naruto said, writing a note with a flourish. “Here are your orders.” He winked at Kakashi. Kakashi snatched the piece of paper with a scowl, shoving it into his pocket without reading it.

The trip to the Mist was uneventful and after leaving Mizukage Tower, Kakashi hurried down the street Chojuro had indicated. When the houses became few and far between Kakashi began to think that he’d gone too far when he saw it. The charred remains of a house were at the end of the lane. There was a lone woman there wearing a simple green dress that went down to her ankles. The auburn hair was unmistakable but Kakashi was shocked to realize he’d never seen Mei in anything but her blue dress.

 _She looks even more beautiful in green,_ Kakashi thought. Then he mentally slapped himself. _Where did that come from? Get ahold of yourself._ Kakashi calmed himself and then advanced toward the burnt down dwelling.

Mei turned as he approached. Her face was marked with soot as if she’d been rummaging in the debris and then touching her face with her soiled hands. Kakashi’s heart clenched, the soot was further streaked by the passage of tears. 

“Are you alright?” Kakashi asked walking up to her cautiously. Somehow the usual protocol of greetings and polite inquires was completely swept from his mind. He wanted to hold her, reassure her. He checked himself, scowling at his own indiscretion. 

Mei gave him a small smile. “Lor- Kakashi, it is very kind of you to visit. I am doing well.”

 _See?_ Kakashi thought to himself sternly, _she wanted to call me Lord Hokage again. There are boundaries. Don’t corner her._

“It’s unusual for the Leaf to send their former Hokage for a social call,” Mei said neutrally.

Kakashi’s heart was beating wildly in his chest. _Calm down_ , he thought sternly. He took a deep breath but that didn’t seem to help. Then he said, “Naruto…wanted to make sure you were alright. If I can be of any assistance at all, just let me know.”

A corner of Mei’s mouth turned upward. Kakashi’s hopes soared and then immediately crashed at her next words. “There’s no need. Everything is fine.” By the time she got to the word ‘fine’ her voice was so faint and strained that he nearly didn’t hear her. She turned her back on him.

Kakashi’s breath caught in his throat. _She wants me to leave._ His mouth was dry. He couldn’t leave. Not now. It would kill him to leave her alone like this. 

Mei’s shoulders shook and Kakashi had to restrain himself from approaching her. _She probably doesn’t like you very much in particular. You went on one pretend date and haven’t spoken since then. How comforting could you be?_

Mei, who was still turned away from him, cried out, “why are you still here? Just leave me alone.”

Kakashi tried moving but his feet remained rooted to the spot. “I can’t. I came here to help you and that’s what I’m going to do.”

 _What am I saying?_ Kakashi panicked. _She asked you to leave idiot!_

“I’m sorry,” Kakashi blurted out. “I’ll leave.” He quickly turned and began to walk away.

“Kakashi,” Mei called.

The former Hokage’s heart stilled and he whirled around to face her. She had turned back and was even coming toward him. Her hand was shaking as it reached out and grasped his.

Kakashi could hear a roaring in his ears. If he didn’t know any better he’d think that he was about to pass out. _That would definitely be impressive,_ he thought sarcastically.

“Please stay,” Mei said, “with me. Just for a little while.” She was staring at his hand, not meeting his eyes.

“Yes,” he said immediately. Then a part of his brain informed him that that didn’t entirely make sense so he tried again, “I will stay as long as you need me to.”

Mei withdrew her hand and turned her back on him again.

“Why did they have to send you?” Mei whispered to herself. Her arms were wrapped around herself as if she were cold.

Kakashi felt like his insides had turned into ice water. “I-I volunteered,” he stammered out. He could barely breathe. He tried a laugh at the end of the sentence but it came out as more of a squeak. He hoped she didn’t hear it.

Mei turned to face him once more, eyes wide. Then she carefully schooled her expression. Kakashi watched as she tucked her emotions away. “Please don’t-” he pleaded. _What is wrong with you? Shut up!_

The shock peaked out onto Mei’s face yet again and then she turned and hurried away from him. The former Mizukage resumed her inspection of the burned down house, picking through the remains of her dwelling.

Kakashi felt like there were boulders rolling around inside of him. He sat down heavily on a rock that lined the lane. _She needs space but wants me to stay_ , he thought as he analyzed her actions and reactions. _If this is love,_ Kakashi concluded, _then I need to get out of it as soon as possible. This is insane._

Still, the work of scouring the debris of her house seemed to calm her. Her shoulders stopped shaking and she stood straighter as time went on. Every once in awhile she’d pick something up that was worth saving and placed it in a bag that Kakashi assumed she’d brought with her. _I kind of picked and chose out of the things she asked me to do,_ he thought sullenly to himself. However, leaving her was unthinkable.

“Lord Hokage?” Mei called an hour or so later. “Is this yours?” She was holding up a crumpled piece of paper that she’d just picked up from the ground.

Panic cut through Kakashi like a knife. He hastily reached down and put his hand into his pocket. Naruto’s “orders” were gone. Kakashi’s face was as white as a sheet. He slowly raised his eyes to Mei. She was reading the piece of paper seeing as he’d never answered her question.

“Ah-” Kakashi’s throat constricted so it came out as a short wheeze. _If I start running now… but I have no idea what her speed is like. Maybe if I-_

“This is Naruto’s handwriting,” Mei commented. “I’d know it anywhere.” Mei smirked as if at a good memory. Then her smile turned deadly as she looked up at him.

Kakashi didn’t want to find out what being boiled alive felt like. In fact there were suddenly a great many things he didn’t want to know. What was not included on that list was what Naruto wrote on that piece of paper. The idea terrified him. Each thought was worse than the last.

“I thought you volunteered for this Kakashi?” Mei said, walking toward him. She held the page half-turned toward him indicatively. 

Kakashi retreated a step. “I did,” Kakashi said as neutrally as he could.

“Thought you’d be a shoulder that I could cry on?” Mei spat, quickening her pace.

“What? No!” Kakashi responded. As he took another quick step backwards he almost twisted his ankle on a rock. He felt even more unsteady as Mei advanced toward him. 

“Thought you’d come and save poor, lonely, old-maid Mei?” She snarled, catching up to him.

Anger ignited in Kakashi. It replaced the nerves that had arisen within him at being near Mei again and the uncertainty from the long silence that had stretched on as he’d sat, only half-welcome, in her presence. He stopped dead in his retreat and Mei almost ran into him. Kakashi almost snarled himself, reaching for the paper, “what did Naruto write? I’m going to kill him.”

Mei held up her hand to keep the page away from him. It was rather difficult because Kakashi was both taller and had a longer reach than she did. He seemed to be intent on getting that paper and igniting it with the sparks of fire in his eyes.

Mei put out her other hand to restrain him and stepped back. “You don’t know what this says?” Her face was a blank slate.

“I can only imagine,” Kakashi confirmed, scowling at the page. He thought back to the smug looks on his students’ faces as he’d left Naruto’s office.

Mei studied his face. His eyes were far away, as if imagining something else. The thin silver lines of his eyebrows creased over his eyes into a frown. The hard set of his jaw showed even through the mask that he was clenching his teeth.

Mei shrugged, tucking the piece of paper away. “I suppose you’re forgiven then. You really should try to keep those students of yours in check. Chojuro would never do something like that to me.” Mei turned around and walked back to the house coquettishly.

 _Like what?_ Kakashi thought. The anger had left him but he didn’t feel completely deflated.

That was when the Sixth Hokage heard a soft, low grumble. It sounded like two beasts fighting. Kakashi looked around, frowning, attempting to discover the source of the disturbance. His keen ear led his eyes to fall on Mei again, who had put a hand to her stomach for only a moment. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. Kakashi opened his mouth and words fell out, “when was the last time you ate Mei?”

Mei froze, hand only half fallen back to her side as if caught doing something she shouldn’t be. Her continued silence made him uneasy. Kakashi couldn’t tell if she was simply shocked by the question or contemplating her answer. However, the anger had made him bold. If his students were going to accuse him of dating the Mizukage, then he’d at least ask her out again and prove to them, and himself, that there was nothing going on between the two of them.

All of those thoughts melted away when Mei tilted her head up to look at him, her face wide open and honest. “You actually want to go on a second date with me?”

The way she cut through his various ruses, straight to the heart of the matter, both pleased and concerned him. _Am I that easy to read?_ “Yes.” Kakashi said. As the single word evaporated into complete silence the last of the anger receded. Apprehension and insecurity rose into its place with a vengeance. _Did I just ask her out again? Does she still want to see me after all?_

Mei smiled. It was a kind smile, a happy smile. Kakashi remembered the first time he saw it. He’d been in a hospital bed and had been having a very bad day. There was no stress in it, no obligations, it was just a smile, a smile for him. Kakashi smiled back under his mask. _Maybe, there’s a possibility, that she really does like me._


	10. The Twins are Born

“If we pair _them_ up then the teams will be unbalanced,” Naruto protested.

“Like Team Seven was?” Sakura said smiling at Naruto and Sasuke. Team Seven and Shikamaru were sitting in Naruto’s office discussing the new genin squads. Normally this was something that the Hokage did alone but Naruto was, unsurprisingly, a team-oriented worker.

“There’s no way you all knew how awesome I was,” Naruto said teasingly. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, grinning.

“Are you sure we didn’t know?” Sasuke said. “You shouted it every chance you got.”

Sakura rolled her eyes and said, “how were we supposed to believe him when he came last in everything?”

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Naruto frowned.

“In any case,” Sakura continued, “Lord Third knew what Naruto was capable of. Our team was no accident.”

Sasuke frowned and Naruto nodded thoughtfully. 

“Even if the teams are unbalanced Naruto,” Shikamaru continued, “you can’t deny their compatibility. Those three would grow much-”

Sasuke stiffened and Shikamaru cut himself off, glancing at the Uchiha. Sasuke was looking at his wife who was in turn looking at the ceiling with an interesting expression on her face. She looked as if the roof over their heads was telling her something very significant.

Sakura turned to them and quickly said, “I have to go.” Then she was enveloped by a pillar of smoke and when it cleared she was gone.

Despite the suddenness of Sakura’s departure her companions did not look concerned. They had been through this before and so had she. Sasuke still remembered when his sensei’s second child was born. Sakura disappeared out of their bed in the dead of night. Sasuke had been asleep when Sakura grabbed his arm to warn him she was leaving. He was halfway through a full search of the house before he’d woken up enough to realize that she hadn’t been kidnapped.

Naruto stood up. Shikamaru and Sasuke followed his lead. Then, without saying anything to each other, the three men began pacing around the office. After only a few steps, Naruto stopped, remembering something, and signaled one of his ANBU. The masked ninja on duty appeared immediately. The men stopped pacing.

“Inform Captain Yamato that it’s time, he should head out immediately,” Naruto said.

The ANBU nodded in response and disappeared without a word.

“Yamato volunteered to babysit again?” Shikamaru asked, arms crossed.

Naruto smiled, “he takes any chance he can get to be a bad influence on his senpai’s kids. Besides, I think it comforts him, seeing the new generation growing up.”

“Not to mention,” Sasuke chimed in from the opposite end of the office, “that he can make improvements on the house when Kakashi and Mei are relatively distracted.”

Shikamaru shook his head, “as if the last few models weren’t perfect.”

The three men fell silent and began to pace again.

000000

In a beautifully crafted house seemingly in the middle of nowhere, Sakura appeared over a scroll in a column of smoke. She waved the smoke away impatiently.

Kakashi stood before her in black pants and a shirt. Sakura briefly considered why, no matter how many times she saw her sensei without it, it always confused her when Kakashi wasn’t wearing his flak jacket. She’d held a mental image of him, for years, as always being battle ready even when it made absolutely no sense. She realized now that he was a regular person and did regular things when he went home. He made meals, watered his plants, but she always imagined him doing such things with his flak jacket on. As if he needed his ninja tools handy to do the dishes. A mental image of Kakashi attacking food stuck onto a dirty dish with a kunai swam into her mind.

She mentally shrugged, it wasn’t like Kakashi had ever given their team a reason to think that he wouldn’t always be ready at a moment’s notice. He wasn’t in the practice of letting them down or even looking flustered. If anything should have broken the illusion of her calm and collected sensei it should have been delivering his children. The man was always a wreck. As she looked him over now, he had a bit of a wild look in his eye that was part nerves and part joy.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Kakashi burst out when the smoke cleared.

Nothing ever made him so up front about his feelings as having children either. “Everything’s going to be fine sensei, where is she?” Sakura always had to ask because whenever they needed their house rebuilt Captain Yamato liked to alter the floor plan.

Kakashi’s eyes grew even wider as if he’d forgotten something vital. “This way,” he gestured but then couldn’t decide if he should lead or let Sakura go first. Sakura put a hand on his shoulder to put him ahead of her and guided him through the door he’d gestured at. “It’s almost the same set up as before. The house I mean,” Kakashi babbled.

“Sensei, you’ve had two children now. I would think that you’d be a little more relaxed,” Sakura chided as they walked up the stairs.

“Well, I know, but you said we’d be having twins and Mei and I aren’t as young as we used to be. I mean we’re not old by any standards.”

“No, you’re not,” Sakura agreed as they made the landing.

“I’m worried about her,” Kakashi said. His face clouded over, “but she won’t talk to me about it anymore. She says I’m overreacting, that she’s fine. And what if something happens to the babies? What if-”

“Sensei,” Sakura said, she grabbed his shoulders and squared them so he was facing her. “Everything is going to be fine. I know _you_ know that worrying won’t get you anywhere and at this point you’re overanalyzing it. From now on, I’m not telling you Mei is pregnant until she can’t hide it anymore. Nine months is far too much time for you to strategize.”

Kakashi looked down and, was that shame Sakura saw on his face? She smiled.

“It was different before,” Sakura continued, “because Roka was too young to remember. But this time your actions are going to make your boys anxious. So please, for their sake, calm down.”

Kakashi took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling. Then he let it out slowly. “I can’t lose her,” Kakashi said quietly.

Sakura’s heart clenched with sympathy. It made her content to see their team so blissfully settled and she knew how happy Kakashi and Mei were together. The love she felt for them whipped her resolve into action. “And you won’t, not if I have anything to say about it,” Sakura said, her voice solid.

Kakashi reacted to her response, the battle-calm look that she knew so well settled into his eyes. “This way,” Kakashi said and they walked down a short hall and into Kakashi and Mei’s room.

Mei was lying on the bed and was, to put it bluntly, as big as a house. Still she seemed cheerful and smiled as the two came in. However, as Sakura had come to expect from Mei, she was also impatient.

“Can we get started Sakura?” Mei asked. “I think my husband’s about to have kittens.” She grinned at Kakashi.

“Are you sure you’re not the one having kittens? Your belly is huge,” Kakashi responded winking at her.

Mei’s eyes widened in surprise at his candor and she smiled even more, relieved that he was calming down now that something was happening. 

The boys were playing on the other side of the room. Roka had volunteered to be an errand boy for his mother but frequently forgot his duties in favor of playing with his brother. When Kakashi and Sakura entered the room, the Kakashi miniatures ran over to see the newcomer. Sakura greeted the young boys quickly and just as quickly dismissed them. Kakashi had already told them what was going to happen so they weren’t surprised. With a promise to play with them later, Sakura watched them retreat and she approached Mei.

Sakura and Mei quickly entered into conversation about how things were progressing. This being Mei’s third pregnancy, she knew what was important and what wasn’t. Meanwhile Sakura, with hands glowing green, inspected every inch of her patient.

When the pink-haired kunoichi finished she shared a smile with Mei. Sakura turned to Kakashi and almost burst out laughing. Her sensei’s anxious look had returned.

Sakura schooled her expression and tried to look stern, “sensei, I thought I told you to calm down.”

“I’m calm,” Kakashi responded, schooling his expression in turn. “I just thought that you’d taken longer than usual and I was wor- wondering if something was wrong?”

Sakura briefly considered torturing her sensei a bit with vague statements but brushed the thought aside. No need to torment the man. “Two babies remember? Of course it took me longer. Everything’s fine. When Mei’s ready we’ll begin.”

“I’m ready now,” Mei said and then she grimaced as another contraction rolled through. Kakashi moved to her left side and took her hand. Mei tried to smile at him but the grimace remained in place. Sakura marveled at Kakashi’s resolve.

Sakura sighed and said, “I mean when your body is ready.” _I could speed it up,_ Sakura thought, _but I’ve never found that to be overly helpful for the mothers or babies._

Kakashi turned to his sons and said, “boys? Why don’t you go play in your room now that Aunt Sakura is here? We’ll come get you when you can meet your new siblings.”

Roka and Kasumi nodded. Roka gathered up their toys and both boys departed.

So they waited in relative silence. The only thing that broke it was Mei’s grunts of pain as contractions came and went. When Sakura nodded in satisfaction, the contractions were close enough, she placed a glowing hand on Mei’s belly and gave Mei a nod to push with the next round.

When Sakura had been further along in her apprenticeship, Tsunade had taken her to a civilian birth. The Fifth Hokage had said it was important to know how else it could be done since, although it hurt just as much, a medical ninja’s assistance in childbirth made it an entirely different experience. About halfway through the procedure, Tsunade had to reassure Sakura that everything was going well and that they did not need her assistance. To a ninja, the civilian way of birthing babies seemed clunky in comparison to the expeditious way in which Sakura had delivered babies at the ninja hospital.

With the next contraction, Mei cried out as she pushed and Sakura’s chakra surged into the womb. Sakura winced as she heard a bone crack in Kakashi’s hand.

“Sorry,” Mei gasped out, closing her eyes. Her face was covered in sweat but her eyes were fierce when she opened them for the next contraction.

“And there’s one,” Sakura said cheerfully as she caught the baby in a towel. Sakura began to methodically wash the squishy pink girl. With the rigorous rubbing the little girl opened her mouth and began to cry. “That’s the way darling,” Sakura said, “show your nervous Dad what big strong lungs you have. It’ll make him feel better.” Sakura looked up to smile at her teacher. He was looking at Mei however and saying something to her. Mei smiled and Kakashi looked up to see his daughter again.

The Copy Ninja did indeed look relieved until Mei had another contraction. Sakura heard two more cracks and Kakashi’s face froze into a smiling mask.

Sakura looked down and said, “ready to come out already?” She was perfectly calm and turned to her teacher, “Kakashi-sensei, I need you to finish washing your daughter. Her sibling seems to be a bit impatient.” 

Kakashi patted Mei’s hand with his left hand and she released his right. Then he moved over next to Sakura, cradling his right hand against his body. “Sensei, your daughter.” Sakura presented, placing the wrapped up baby into his arms. Kakashi adjusted his little girl so that she was cradled in his right arm and he could wash her with his good hand.

“Yo,” Kakashi said softly, his eyes shining. He sat down on the corner of the bed, face bent over the bundle in his arms. He slowly began to finish the washing and then quickened his pace, remembering that Mei was just as excited to greet their daughter.

Mei cried out as she pushed. Sakura had her hand on Mei’s belly again when she froze. The pink-haired kunoichi looked at Kakashi, eyes wide with fear. “Sensei,” she whispered, terrified. Sakura felt multiple chakra signatures closing in on the house. They were closing fast.

Kakashi looked up, tensing as well. Sakura was halfway into a standing position when a ninja in black teleported onto the spot in which Roka and Kasumi had recently been playing.

Sakura was adjusting her stance to defend the couple when Kakashi let out a brief chuckle. The kunoichi whipped her head around to look at her sensei who was once again contentedly cleaning his daughter. “You gave us a fright Sora. You’re a little late aren’t you?” He turned to his student, “Mist Black Ops Sakura, it’s alright.” 

Sakura relaxed as she felt the other chakra signatures stationing themselves around the house and kneeled by Mei once more. Sora responded by standing down as well. “I’m sorry Lord Sixth but we-”

Mei cried out again and Sakura said, “almost there.”

“That is um-” even with his mask, Sakura could easily imagine the blood draining from the young man’s face. The medical kunoichi instantly forgave his imprudence. She often forgot that many of the ninja from the Mist, even the skilled captains, were young and inexperienced.

“Sora?” Kakashi said. “If the reason isn’t a pressing matter you can tell us later. Our boys would probably appreciate an update though.” Kakashi smiled reassuringly at him.

Sora bowed gratefully and departed without a word as Mei screamed again.

“And there’s two,” Sakura said just a cheerfully as she received another pink baby.

Kakashi had finally finished washing his first daughter and, wrapping her in a fresh towel, brought her over to her mother. Mei was sprawled flat out against her pillows and panting, eyes closed. Kakashi sidled up to her right side, kissed her forehead, and said, “Mei, meet our daughter.” Mei’s eyes instantly opened and she turned to accept the bundle.

“Hello my sweet,” Mei whispered to the now sleeping baby. “She has my hair,” Mei exclaimed in tired delight.

“Sensei,” Sakura whispered, not wanting to intrude. She had their other daughter in her arms and held her out to him. Kakashi accepted her carefully, entranced, not even able to thank Sakura properly.

After a few minutes, seeing that she wasn’t needed, Sakura slipped out to join Sora and the boys. Kakashi and Mei sat together on their bed, drinking in their daughters with their eyes.

“Girls,” Mei said happily looking at her husband. “You finally get to name some of our children!”

Kakashi didn’t say anything, he just stared at his sleeping daughters with shining eyes.

“You did have names picked out Kakashi?” Mei said. “You should be prepared.”

This broke Kakashi out of his revere. “Of course,” Kakashi responded, “they’re just so perfect.”

Mei smiled and said, “of course they are, they’re my daughters.”

Kakashi turned to his wife and kissed her. He pulled back and said, “like I said, perfect.”

Mei rolled her eyes and laughed saying, “enough of the flattery, what do we call them?”

Kakashi looked at their first daughter whom Mei was holding, “Fujita.” Then he looked down at the bundle in his own arms, “Hisano.” 

“And luckily for us,” Mei said, “Fujita has a birthmark. No mix-ups here.” The Fifth Mizukage yawned mightily. “Keep an eye out for awhile Kakashi? I think I’m about to fall asleep.”

“Before our sons meet their sisters? Never,” Kakashi said.

“Right right,” Mei said opening her eyes. Just as quickly they started to slide closed again.

At Kakashi’s signal, Sakura brought Roka and Kasumi in. Roka rushed over to the bed to examine first one sister, then the other. Kasumi couldn’t quite keep up, much less see over the bed’s edge, so Sakura held him up so he could see. The younger boy giggled in delight.

Eventually Sakura set Kasumi down on the bed and turned to Kakashi. “Let me see that hand sensei,” she said quietly. Kakashi wordlessly held out his right hand to her, keeping Hisano cradled in his left arm.

The comment did not escape Mei’s notice however, and her eyes flicked over to what Sakura was doing. “Oh Kakashi is it bad? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“It’s not as bad as it has been in the past,” Kakashi said reassuringly.

Sakura already had his hand flooded in green chakra. _It’d be kind of hard to top the previous births,_ Sakura reflected. She thought back to the dark purple contusions on Kakashi’s forearms and shattered metacarpals and phalanges in his hands. Mei’s labors had not been kind to her husband.

“I’m sorry,” Mei said.

“Don’t be,” Kakashi said. “I should have known by now to make a clone and have you hold _his_ hand.”

Mei tried to smack him but he twisted away, grinning. Sakura grumbled at their antics while trying to hold onto Kakashi’s hand so she could finish healing it. 


	11. The Picnic

“Where are we going Kakashi?” Mei asked with a mischievous grin. Her eyes were closed and Kakashi was leading her by the hand up a trail. His other hand held a basket.

“Oh, you’ll see,” Kakashi said, steering Mei around a rock in the path.

“No I won’t,” Mei laughed, “unless you let me open my eyes.”

“Just wait a bit and you can,” Kakashi promised cheerfully as they exited the forest.

Mei felt her sandal hit rock instead of the dirt they’d been hiking on before. “Can I open them yet?”

“Not quite,” Kakashi said smiling. He’d been planning this for weeks. It was his turn to host the date and Mei found some reason or other to come to the Leaf on business.

Suddenly Kakashi stopped and set the basket down. He put his hands on Mei’s shoulders and moved her so she was facing just so. She could feel a strong breeze ruffling her dress and playing in her hair. Then he said, “okay, you can open them.”

Mei’s eyes opened and then quickly blinked to adjust to the bright light. They were on top of Hokage Mountain and could see the entire village and beyond. It was a sunny spring day and the sky was blue and cloudless. 

Mei smiled and turned to him, “it’s beautiful Kakashi.” Kakashi smiled in return and they both looked out on the village, enjoying the view and steady breeze.

Kakashi tentatively put one of his arms around her waist. Mei smiled and leaned into the contact as way of encouragement.

They’d been working on Kakashi’s aversion to physical contact. This was brought to Mei’s attention when she’d reached for Kakashi’s hand one evening after a day in the Mist. Not only did he recoil from her brushing fingers but he’d quickly moved away from her. He continued to walk with her down the road but there was a full meter between them for the rest of the night.

Mei had fretted over this for several days before bringing it up to Hinata who in turn mentioned it to Naruto.

“Oh it’s not you Mei, don’t worry,” Naruto said grinning. “If you could see the look on his face when he talks about you…”

“Then why?”

Naruto shrugged. “Sensei has never been one for physical contact.” Naruto suddenly laughed and said, “when we were younger, we’d try to hug him sometimes. He just didn’t know what to do with that. He’d immediately peel us off if not avoid it altogether. The closest I came to getting a hug from him was if he had to carry me because I physically couldn’t walk.” Naruto seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then he said, “it wasn’t because he didn’t care. He showed his affection in other ways, like trying to get me to eat my vegetables or something like that.”

Mei nodded thoughtfully.

“But don’t worry, sensei is crazy about you! Just give him a chance okay?”

Mei was surprised by his tone and looked up at him. Naruto was scrutinizing her. Her eyes widened with shock at the intentness of his gaze. She knew Kakashi was protective of his students, she hadn’t thought about them being protective of him in return.

As if reading her thoughts, Naruto said, “when we were younger, we thought of sensei as this unstoppable force. Even when he got hurt, it never seemed serious, not really. He’d go to the hospital and then he’d get better, the same as always. Then during Pain’s invasion...” Naruto trailed off. “I couldn’t feel his chakra. I couldn’t believe he was gone.”

Mei pushed down her own swelling emotions, not wanting to interrupt him. 

“That’s kind of when I realized how much he did for us. He put his life on the line for us, every time. We just didn’t realize the risks he took because it was sensei, he couldn’t die.” Naruto laughed. “I kind of got sidetracked but what I’m trying to say is: Kakashi-sensei means a lot to us.” Naruto’s blue eyes gazed with force into hers. She understood the look for what it was: a plea, a warning, but also hope. 

Mei looked up at Kakashi. His face was getting a little pink where his mask and the tops of his cheeks met. Mei wondered if she should maneuver herself away from his arm so that he’d be more comfortable. No need to push him too hard, this was already more than she had expected. That was when a voice cried out behind them, “hey sensei, hey Mei!”

Kakashi stiffened and Mei withdrew from him immediately. They turned to see Naruto, Hinata, Boruto, and Himawari. Naruto had a bundle in his hand that looked suspiciously like lunch for the Uzumaki family.

“Naruto,” Hinata said, trying to get her husband’s attention, “maybe we should go somewhere else?” 

“The top of Hokage Mountain is my special spot sensei,” Naruto said pointing at him accusingly, doubling this as a response to Hinata.

Kakashi was flustered. “Your face isn’t even up here yet!” He was embarrassed by how ridiculous of an excuse that was. There was no ownership of the mountain even though they were standing on Kakashi’s crown in particular. “Besides I-” Kakashi stopped himself and looked past Tsunade’s face to Minato’s. He sighed, thinking of the times he’d spent sitting there alone. The memories derailed what he was going to say and the silence stretched out. Mei was looking at Kakashi, willing him to look at her but he was lost in his own thoughts.

As the silence went on, Himawari tugged on her mother’s pant leg. “Mommy can we eat now?”

Hinata nodded but she was still looking at Kakashi and Mei uncertainly as she took the bundle from Naruto and began to unpack. 

“Don’t worry Mei,” Naruto said misjudging her concern. “I’m sure what Hinata made is ten times better than whatever Kakashi-sensei put together.”

“Naruto,” Hinata chided as Kakashi broke out of his revere. “That’s very impolite.”

“I mean,” Naruto said withdrawing some food from the basket, “the food looks like us but we can share.” He produced a rice cake that was in the shape of a face topped with spiky yellow hair and another with dark hair that flared out at the sides. Each cake had two whisker marks on each cheek; they were clearly Boruto and Himawari.

Kakashi mentally face-palmed.

“Naruto, Hinata,” a voice called from the nearby woods. Upon seeing the crowd it continued, “what are you all doing up here?” It was Sakura who had spoken. Sasuke frowned at her side. Sarada trotted next to them, holding the other side of a handle attached to the basket Sasuke was carrying.

Kakashi massaged his temples. His carefully planned outing was slowly falling apart. Backup plans were already assembling themselves in his mind. “That’s alright Naruto, we’ll just go somewhere else.” He took a step as if to leave but Mei grasped his arm.

“Nonsense, the more the merrier,” Mei said smiling. Kakashi looked skeptically at their disturbed picnicking spot. Boruto was drawing swirls in the dirt with a stick. Hinata and Naruto were unpacking their bundle while Himawari bounced impatiently. Sarada was putting blades of grass she’d just picked into Boruto’s hair which he either was ignoring or unaware of. Sasuke grasped her hand when she went to pick more grass. It wasn’t exactly what Kakashi had intended for his and Mei’s date.

Mei raised her eyebrows with a look in her eyes that said, _relax._ Kakashi slowly sat down where he stood. When he didn’t move after this, Mei took a peak into the basket still clutched stiffly in his hand. She reached in and withdrew a blanket. She offered it to prompt him and he realized that he was sitting on bare ground. He quickly stood to spread the blanket for her and sat once more, a little less stiffly than before.

Mei sat down next to him and whispered, “Kakashi, this will be fun, you’ll see. Nothing is spoiled so don’t dwell on it.”

Kakashi gave her a look like she was insane but she just smiled in response. He softened under her cheer and began to unpack their lunch.

Hinata spread a blanket of her own, the remainder of the unpacked bundle, making it flush with Mei’s and Kakashi’s. Sasuke did the same with his and Sakura’s blanket.

As it turned out, Kakashi had made soup. “Big surprise,” Naruto muttered to Sasuke. A second later a pebble connected with the side of Naruto’s head. Kakashi examined his fingernails innocently. Mei attempted to hide a smile behind her spoon.

They all shared their food, although Sasuke refused to eat anything that looked like a face. After the third blade of grass had fallen into his soup, Boruto began to accusingly chase Sarada around between the rocky spikes that made up Kakashi’s mountain hair. Himawari chased after them with a shrill giggle.

Kakashi watched them contentedly and was surprised to find Mei’s hand in his. He looked over at her and she smiled. He was eye-smiling back when a little cry issued from where the children were playing.

Himawari came running around the corner. “Daddy Daddy Boruto fell down!”

Naruto jumped up, followed quickly by Sasuke. As they rushed to the edge of Kakashi’s hair they realized that their fears were unfounded. Boruto had fallen down on the ground, not off of the cliff as they’d presumed. The young boy clutched a bleeding knee, his eyes wet with tears. Sarada was sitting with him. Naruto knelt next to his son, “are you alright?”

Boruto sniffed but nodded. Sakura joined them a moment later and smiled. “Here,” she held her hand out over the knee, healing it instantly.

Boruto wiped his tears away and smiled, “thanks Aunt Sakura!” Sarada helped him up and they continued to play.

“You didn’t need to do that,” Sasuke said in an undertone to his wife.

Sakura scoffed, “no need to spoil their day. Besides, it wasn’t a big deal.”

“It will become a big deal if he thinks he can just get healed for every scrape. He’s going to be a ninja someday and can’t expect things to be easy.”

“Lighten up Sasuke,” Naruto said. “Sakura was just being nice. Besides, Boruto knows things aren’t always that easy.”

“Does he?” Sasuke queried, “sometimes I wonder.”

“What are you trying to say?” Naruto said scowling. “That I’m a bad father? You’re certainly one to talk.”

“Stop it, both of you,” Sakura protested.

“And you always defending him,” Naruto said. “At least I was here for most of their lives.”

“Naruto that is enough!!” Sakura threw a punch out to her side, hitting the rock they were standing by.

As the boulder hair-spike crumbled Kakashi involuntarily put a hand to his real hair. Mei chuckled and said, “is it safe for them to be getting all worked up like this?” She knew perfectly well the power Kakashi’s students possessed.

The threes’ voices grew louder and more violent. The younger children had ceased playing to watch their parents fight.

Kakashi shook his head, “no, it’s alright. Actually, when they fight I at least know that everyone is fine. When they’re not fighting either the world is coming to an end or one of them is hurt.” After a moment Kakashi revised his statement, “actually I’ve seen them argue during the end of the world too.” The former Hokage stood up. “Just the same though, I’d better go make sure they don’t destroy my face. I don’t think I can sit through another round of modeling.” _I’m going to kill them for this._

As Kakashi walked over to his students the fight escalated. A clone had poofed into existence and things were sounding chirpy. Kakashi stopped behind them, hands on hips. The clone quickly dispelled and the sound of birds faded away. The three turned to their sensei, looking as guilty as green genin.

Mei tried to hear what he was saying to them but the wind whipped the words away. Judging by Naruto’s guilty pout, Sakura’s red cheeks, and Sasuke’s scowl, she could guess Kakashi was giving them a lecture. The action over, the children had retreated when they caught sight of Kakashi’s glower. Mei shook her head at their antics.

Hinata alone remained next to Mei on the blankets. She’d retracted her Byakugan after realizing that Boruto was alright and sat placidly watching the fight with mild amusement.

Mei turned to smile at her and asked, “are they always like this?”

Hinata nodded once in assent, her smirk brimming into a full smile as she watched Team Seven bicker. Then she leaned over and whispered, “welcome to the family.”


	12. Kakashi's Dead

“Lady Mizukage!” Maro burst into Mei’s office with a scroll in his hand. Mei and Ao looked up from the papers they’d been hastily organizing.

Ao turned on him, “can’t you see we’re about to leave for the summit? Can’t this wait?”

Mei frowned but said nothing.

“I’m afraid it can’t sir. The Leaf has been attacked! We just got word from Orino, the entire village has been destroyed.”

The room was silent for a moment. Mei stared at Maro. Ao’s mouth fell open. Finally Mei spoke, “how many casualties?” Then, before Maro could answer, “Ao, send our support teams, I want to know exactly what’s going on over there. We can’t have other villages thinking that the Leaf is an easy target. Now is not the time for more infighting.” She nodded to Maro to speak as Ao stepped out.

“Orino writes that the casualties are catastrophic. No word on the Hokage. He didn’t see her but her slugs were everywhere. He estimates up to 40% of the village populace has been wiped out. Their fighting force has been greatly reduced. He included some notable names here.” Maro unrolled the scroll to the end and scanned the page. Ao re-entered the office to listen. “Shizune, the Fifth Hokage’s apprentice, is reported among the dead. Kakashi of the Sharingan-”

Mei’s eyebrows shot up. “Kakashi’s dead?”

“That’s what Orino writes here. He said that he saw the body himself otherwise he wouldn’t have believed it. He awaits our support teams’ arrival unless he’s ordered to withdraw. I assume he’ll send new information as it comes in,” Maro finished.

“Orino’s a good spy,” the Mizukage mused aloud, “he anticipated my orders as usual. He’ll stay until there’s nothing new to learn.” The news was troubling on multiple levels. For the Leaf to be attacked, now, was a bad omen. She looked out the windows of her office at the village, her village, and she was about to leave it at such a time.

“Lady Mei,” Ao said, “we need to leave. The danger of being ambushed is even greater now. You have to make it to that summit.”

Mei nodded in acknowledgement but did not look away from the window. Her mind kept drifting to Hatake Kakashi. For such a man to be killed and he was only one loss of the many the Leaf had no doubt suffered. 

“Shall I forward Orino’s reports to you on the road my Lady?” Maro asked.

“No,” Mei said as she finally turned away from the window and gathered her things. “We can’t risk the reports being intercepted. Keep them here for me until I return.” She turned to Ao, “is Chojuro ready?”

“He’s already outside,” Ao responded. The veteran looked like he wanted to say something else about the young man but held his tongue.

“Then let’s be off and hope that the Fifth Hokage makes it to the summit herself.”

After saying goodbye to the people who’d gathered to see her off, Mei left her village.

As the Mist party traveled on the road Mei was weighed down with thoughts of the Leaf. Her mind also kept straying to a ninja she knew from rumor but a man she’d only barely met, a legend, who was now dead.

000000

“What about the Leaf? Once they find out what Danzo has done here, he won’t stay in power long,” the Raikage said. 

Just as Mei feared, the summit was a catastrophe in its own right. First an attack on the summit itself and then a declaration of war? To say it hadn’t gone smoothly was an understatement.

“I’ll pass on the news of the Alliance to a Leaf ninja that I trust,” Gaara offered.

The Raikage and Tsuchikage turned to look at their youngest peer. “And that would be?” the Raikage prompted. All the kage knew of the close relations between the Leaf and Sand. It was curious considering what had taken place at a chunin exam held at the Leaf just a few years earlier.

“Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan,” Gaara replied with assurance. 

Mei was stunned. _He’s alive?_

“The son of the White Fang?” the Tsuchikage clarified thoughtfully.

“Very well,” the Raikage said. He pondered anew the meeting he’d had on the road to the summit. Kakashi had been guarding the Leaf’s Jinchuriki along with another jonin. The Raikage suddenly wondered why a jinchuriki was out of his village at such a time. His mind leapt to Danzo’s betrayal and another piece of the puzzle fell into place. _The Leaf jonin didn’t trust Danzo from the start_ , he realized. “He certainly seems more trustworthy than Danzo.”

“Oh yeah,” Kankuro said as an aside to Temari. Temari silently agreed, remembering when Kakashi’s team had come to their aid.

At this point Mei finally found her voice. She took care to steady it when she said, “Kakashi survived the assault on the Leaf? Last intelligence we had, he was among the dead.”

Gaara turned to look at her. “He did die. But the enemy who destroyed the Leaf used a jutsu that brought everyone he’d killed back from the dead. Naruto defeated the enemy in battle and then changed his mind.” _Like he changed mine._

“I saw Kakashi on the road here,” the Raikage added. “He’s very much alive and guarding his student, the Nine-Tail’s Jinchuriki.”

Mei sighed with relief and then, when she realized the other kage were staring at her she said, “well good, that’ll work fine.” They seemed to be satisfied and continued the discussion. Gaara’s eyes lingered on her for a moment longer than the others before he too turned his attention back to the conversation. 

Despite the looming war and disaster of the summit, inside, Mei was unaccountably reassured. The weight that had been on her chest since she’d left the Mist had lifted. Mei scoffed at herself. Stupid random Leaf ninja making her worry. Still, why did she care? She’d only interacted with Kakashi that once. What was it about him that had made her worry?

She pushed the thoughts aside. She didn’t have time to analyze her feelings right now. They were going to war. 


	13. Make-Out Series Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a parody.

The young woman with auburn hair walked down the winding road leading to her home. The dry leaves crunched underfoot as the bright moon kept her company. Her dress swished as she walked. She was taking long strides, eager to be safe and home alone. That’s when she noticed a rustling above her. She glanced up the hill curiously but did not stop walking. The road was cut into the side of a hill and she knew there to be another road running parallel to hers higher up.

She heard another rustle, louder this time, then the even crunch of leaves above her. There was someone on that path! She glanced up again and saw a dark figure walking in the same direction as her. She quickly looked away, trying in vain to see where she knew the two paths met up ahead. Maybe he didn’t care about her but just the same, she didn’t want him to be between herself and home. She picked up the pace, lengthening her strides as she walked.

She heard the continued crunch of the leaves above her. As she sped up the crunches became more frequent, he was quickening his pace! The auburn haired woman added extra speed to her lengthened strides, making her feel like she was going at a slow jog. Her breathing quickened as her heart pounded in fear. It could all be for nothing but her instincts were telling her to hurry hurry hurry.

The man on the road above her did not slow down. The crunching of his leaves was not falling behind but in fact just keeping even with her.

Suddenly she could make out the paths’ convergence ahead in the moonlight. Her sigh of relief caught in her throat when she heard a voice above her call out, “where do you think you’re going?”

The accusation stupefied her. The part of her brain that wasn’t urging her to run was flabbergasted that such a line was used at all. This thought passed quickly however and instincts took over. She ran.

Long hair flying behind her like a banner, she bolted down the path, hoping to get past the merger without being cut off. Her reaction seemed to startle the man at first for he did not immediately pursue. She heard him call out something that she didn’t quite catch and then his footsteps pounding the leaves as he ran after her.

She made the merger and sped past it, far from safe. The cool night air burned her lungs. The path that was so familiar to her now seemed dangerous, unfriendly, and far too long. The shadows stretched like hands reaching out to grab her or block her path. She could hear his feet on the hard ground, their roads had joined.

Passing a familiar crossroads beyond the hill, she began to count the landmarks on her road home. The signpost for the crossroads flew past. In the distance she could see the large tree that marked the halfway point between the crossroads and her cottage. She was just reaching the well-known crumbling stone wall…

She heard a chuckle behind her that raised the hair on her neck. She hadn’t realized he’d gotten that close. She redoubled her speed but then she felt a hand on her arm. She jerked it away from him but the movement threw her off balance and she stumbled and fell, skidding to a halt on the road.

Ignoring her scrapes and bruises, she crawled away from him to get some distance to stand up. As she got to her feet he stomped on the hem of her dress making her stumble once more. She fell back to her hands and knees. Turning, she kicked at him but he caught her foot and threw it aside. She kicked at him with her other foot but he caught that one also and casually tossed it out of the way.

She realized in horror that he was playing with her. She could see him now in the moonlight. He had brown hair and dark eyes. His skin and cloths were dirty as if he’d been on the road for some time. He wore a pack on his back that he threw aside. The contents jangled as they landed, suggesting pots and pans along with other camping equipment.

“Now,” he said with a leer on his face, “don’t you want to-”

“No!” The young woman screamed at him and tried to kick him again. “Get away from me!”

He caught her foot again but this time he didn’t let go. Instead he adjusted his grip on her ankle and yanked her closer to him.

The woman cried out in pain as she felt her ankle twist. She tried to pull her foot free but her ankle burned with pain. Her dress was slipping down revealing more of her leg as he pulled her leg up. She scrambled with her hands trying to drag herself away. Her fingers were digging into the dirt, grasping at weeds, but his grip on her foot did not relax.

“I believe the lady said ‘no’,” a voice spoke from the darkness.

The woman and traveler both looked up to see a lone figure leaning against the crumbling wall on the side of the road. As they watched the newcomer pushed himself off of the wall and began to amble toward them.

He was tall, taller than the traveler. He had messy silver hair that glinted in the moonlight. He spoke again, “let her go.”

In his shock at the sudden appearance of another man, the traveler seemed to have forgotten the woman he’d been assaulting. Realizing that he still clutched her foot he let it go disdainfully. “Stay there, I’ll be back for you,” he sneered at the woman.

Her green eyes were wide as she stared at the silver-haired man. Then she cried out in surprise and pain when her ankle sent a shooting pain up her leg as it landed on the ground. She quickly adjusted her dress so it covered more of her legs and scrabbled away from the man. She knew she should try to head for home but she was frozen in apprehension, watching the two men approach each other.

The silver-haired one, if he won the fight, might leave her alone but if the brown-haired man won and came back for her… Even if she started moving now he’d catch her again before she reached her home. So she waited, heart in throat, and watched.

“What’s it to you?” the traveler snarled.

The woman couldn’t see the other man’s face because it was in shadow. However, in response the man tilted his head and shrugged. “It didn’t seem like she appreciated your…attentions.”

“Well,” the brown-haired man sneered, “ _I_ don’t appreciate _your_ ‘attentions’, so why don’t you bug off!”

The silver-haired man sighed, “see, I would, but I get the feeling that as soon as I leave you’ll be…pestering her again. And I won’t allow that.”

Before the newcomer had finished speaking the traveler threw the first punch. The point of their confrontation gasped in fear but she need not have worried. The newcomer dodged the punch easily and countered with an uppercut to the traveler’s jaw. The traveler stumbled back, wiping his mouth with his wrist. Then he growled and threw himself at the silver-haired man. His punches flailed here and there but they never came in contact with the mysterious man. He was like a phantom.

The traveler went in for another jab at the man’s chin. Instead, the silver-haired man caught the punch with his right hand, stopping it cold. The brown-haired man’s eyes widened in surprise. The newcomer didn’t wait for him to react. He punched the traveler in the stomach with his left fist and, quickly releasing the man’s hand, punched him in the face with his right. The traveler fell to the ground, senseless.

The brown-haired man shook his head in confusion as the newcomer bent down over him. “Now don’t let me catch you preying on _anyone_ ever again.”

The traveler stared at the man, slack-jawed as he crawled away, strangely in the same manner in which the woman had moments earlier. He was shaking his head as he grasped his pack and hurried down the road the way he’d come. The silver-haired man watched him go, his silhouette cutting an imposing figure in the moonlight.

Once the traveler was out of sight, the mysterious rescuer turned to the woman and approached her slowly. “Are you alright?” He asked silkily, offering her his hand.

She was staring up at him in awe, her mouth hanging open, eyes wide. She remembered to breathe, closed her eyes, swallowed, and reopened them slowly. She could see his face now. It was smooth, making her realize that he was younger than she’d supposed with his silver hair. His eyes were dark but warm.

The woman nodded, taking his hand. He helped her to her unsteady feet. She tried to put weight on her injured ankle and gasped with the pain. When she started to topple he caught her easily between his arms and broad chest.

She closed her eyes and rested her head against him for a moment. He smelled like the forest, of leaves and loam. It was soothing and she almost forgot where she was until he spoke again, “it seems you’ve lied to me.”

Green eyes flashed open and looked up into his.

“You’re not alright,” he clarified. He watched her intently, as if her response was of the utmost importance to him.

She blushed and looked away. “It’s just my ankle. I’m fine. I don’t think I can walk on it-” she’d started to babble and stopped herself, embarrassed.

“I see,” he said. “I can maybe help a little with that.” He eased her down onto the ground once more and began rummaging in a pouch on his belt. “What’s your name?” He produced some bandages.

“Mei,” the woman replied a little breathless.

He smiled at her from where he was crouched next to her ankle. “Mei, I’m Kakashi. I’m pretty clumsy but do you want me to try to wrap up your ankle? I think it’ll help.”

Mei couldn’t imagine how this man could be clumsy at anything. She nodded mutely. Kakashi gently took her now swollen foot in his hand and wrapped it up tightly. He was careful but it still hurt. She tried her best to mask her panting as he finished. However, in the pale moonlight she looked even more ghostly than when he’d first seen her.

He frowned at her distress, “is there somewhere I can take you? Do you live nearby?”

She nodded and then realizing that she should be giving more of a response said, “just down the road, if you’d help me…?”

Kakashi pulled Mei to her feet once more and, with their arms around each other, began to hobble down the road. After a minute or two, Mei began to pant and her face got even more pale and drawn. Kakashi immediately halted and scooped her into his arms.

It took Mei’s breath away and made her head swim. The stars above were spinning a bit and she closed her eyes to block them out. Mei rested her head against Kakashi’s shoulder again to recollect herself as he carried her down the road. “You don’t have to-” she muttered into his neck.

Kakashi chuckled deep in his chest. “It’s the least I can do. You’ve had quite a fright this evening.”

“So have you,” Mei countered. She tentatively put her arms around his neck to relieve him of some of his burden.

Kakashi sighed. “Ah, unfortunately, I’m used to it.” He grew quiet and Mei pondered the life this man must lead.

When Mei could make out her home in the darkness she pointed it out to Kakashi. He made for the small cottage. She laughed when he prompted her to unlock the door while still in his arms. She did so and unlatched the door which he pushed open the rest of the way.

It was a snug little place and all one room so he didn’t have to ask where her bed was. Walking over to it, he laid her down gently. After a quick moment he turned away and made for the door.

“Kakashi!” She cried out, distressed. He turned around at her call so suddenly that she was embarrassed by her panicky outburst. In a calmer voice she said, “you’re not leaving?”

He looked around and said, “well I wasn’t exactly invited in the first place. You needed me to take you here and I did.”

“I need you to stay,” she said breathlessly.

He smiled at her. “Then I will.” Glancing over at the kitchenette he said, “I’ll make tea.”

Mei couldn’t believe this man was real. She knew he was tough, he’d carried her all the way here, rescued her from that man. She shuddered a little at the thought of the traveler she’d met on the road. But now this mysterious man was gentle, moving about her kitchen as if he’d always been there, boiling water and arranging cups on a tray. She stared at him in wonder as if he’d disappear any second. In a few minutes he was bringing her tea in bed.

“Careful, it’s hot,” he warned, handing her a cup. She drank it anyway and she hardly noticed the way it burned her tongue and throat. “Let’s see about your ankle.”

He looked the appendage over gently with probing fingers. During the course of his examination his hand strayed onto her lower calf. She gasped. She was suddenly feeling very warm and it had nothing to do with the tea.

“Does that hurt?” he asked intently.

“No,” she breathed. Her heart was pounding; she was sure he could hear it. 

His hand traveled up to her knee, his fingers like feathers over her skin. “And now?”

Mei could barely breathe; the answer that came out of her mouth was garbled and unintelligible. It sounded closer to a gasp than any word. Her hands were shaking.

Kakashi laid himself down by her side and put his ear next to her mouth so he could hear her. “Sorry?”

She responded by nibbling his ear.

He groaned, molding his body to hers and said, “that’s what I was thinking.” He began to kiss her neck-

Kakashi felt a hand brush his side. The hand froze. His eyes flashed open and he saw the vaulted ceiling and wooden beams of his and Mei’s house above him. The morning light streamed in through their balcony window. He felt Mei shift in bed next to him and he turned to look at her.

She withdrew her hand guiltily. Mei had reached out, eyes closed, and touched him as soon as she’d woken up. He was all too familiar with the ritual. He smiled reassuringly at her and said, “still here.”

Mei half-smiled and replied, “I’m sorry I woke you.”

Her husband waved her off, “don’t worry about it. I was dreaming about you but the real thing is better.” He leaned over and kissed her.

“A good dream or…?” Mei left the question unfinished. Worry filled her eyes.

“It wasn’t a nightmare,” Kakashi assured her. He kissed her again.

“Oh,” Mei said brightening, “good.” She began to return his greeting when she frowned and drew back. The kunoichi leveled a suspicious look at him. “It wasn’t a ‘Make-Out series’ dream was it?”

Kakashi only paused for an instant before smoothly replying in the negative. He allowed himself a small grin. Then the smile froze on his face. He realized with dismay that he did not have his mask on.

Mei starred at him abashed. “It was! You had a- Why you little!” Mei scooped up her pillow and swung it at him. Kakashi blocked it with his own pillow fisted in his hand like a shield. Mei tackled him and they both toppled off of the bed bringing half of the bedding with them.

Inside the makeshift fort and tangled up in sheets, Kakashi pinned Mei down with his body. Playfully he said, “see? I told you the real thing was better.”

Mei tried to smack him but he held her hands. Kakashi could feel her focusing her chakra. Mei’s eyes narrowed at him as she bunched up her legs under him threateningly. He knew she could kick him through the ceiling but he didn’t back down.

Mei smiled dangerously and said, “I believe you’ll find I’m a _bit_ stronger than the damsels in Jiraiya’s books.”

Kakashi smiled back, “as I said, better.” He closed the distance between them and kissed his wife. 


	14. Kidnapped: Part 1 of 3

“I’m just saying that he’s got to be enrolled somewhere,” Mei said as she threw a shirt into her bag.

The Hatake family was at home preparing for a trip to the Mist Village. The children waited downstairs for their parents to finish packing, and arguing. Roka glared at the ground. Kasumi pretended not to hear. Fujita and Hisano just looked at each other uncertainly.

Kakashi said nothing as he sealed the clothes, that Mei haphazardly threw at her bag, into a scroll.

“Roka is eight years old already and we’ve done nothing to enroll him in either academy,” Mei pressed.

“He’s going to test out early no matter where we send him,” Kakashi replied sighing. “He’s already beyond the capabilities of the average genin. Sending him to the academy at all is a waste of time. Fujita and Hisano could probably graduate from either academy at this point. Don’t you see that sending them to school will make them feel-” 

Mei’s voice began to rise in volume. “You just don’t want to commit. Whichever academy teaches him will be the village he is bound to!”

Kakashi physically rose. “And you want to make that decision now?!”

“We have to make it at some point Kakashi! We can’t keep waiting around for the solution to come to us!” Mei paused here, realizing that she’d been shouting. In a calmer tone she said, “if a ninja has no village then they’re labeled as dangerous, one way or another.” 

Kakashi sighed again and looked out the window. “I know.”

“Then what are we going to do?” Mei demanded.

Kakashi turned to look at her, eyes hard, “I don’t know! Have you come up with any solutions?”

The words stung and Mei recoiled slightly at them.

Kakashi flinched and his eyes went to the floor. “I’m sorry.” He grasped their pack and straightened, “let’s just go, we have a lot of ground to cover today. We’ll talk about this tonight.” 

Mei nodded mutely.

The family departed with a dark cloud hanging over the group. They got into their typical formation: Kakashi in front, his daughters immediately behind him, the boys behind their sisters, with Mei bringing up the rear.

Mei considered their situation as they traveled. They could send two children to each village but that would split up the family. Besides if, however slim of a chance it may seem, their two villages went to war she didn’t want to think about the possibility of her children fighting each other. Not to mention the decision she and Kakashi would have to make. Then again, they’d made that choice for themselves years ago.

Mei looked at her husband, calm and self-assured. His spiky hair moved with the breeze as they jumped from tree to tree. After smiling for a moment at his back, Mei considered the rest of her family in turn.

Her beautiful daughters were four already. They were shy but capable of keeping up with their brothers. Both had Mei’s striking auburn hair. Fujita had hers cut short into a bob whereas Hisano grew hers out in layers like her mother. Either of them could change their minds about hair length at any time but meanwhile it made it easier for family friends to tell them apart. Although they hadn’t shown any outward affinity for any two, or one, elements Mei suspected that Fujita had inherited her lava style and Hisano her boil style. That was just her feeling however.

She next turned to her sons who, like Kakashi before them, bore an uncanny resemblance to their father. Between the spiky silver hair and the bone structure of their faces, it was easy to see the resemblance even when Kakashi wore his mask. This led to much cooing and cheek pinching from Naruto and Sakura every time the family visited the Leaf. The boys grudgingly tolerated this for years much to their own embarrassment and Kakashi’s exasperation.

Roka, despite sharing his father’s looks, had incredible chakra reserves but none of her bloodline limits that they had observed. However, he boasted like his father’s successor and worked to back it up. This was good, Mei mused, because he could have easily been bogged down by the truth that he may be the only one of their children without her bloodline limit. Such disadvantages have led many ninja to jealous behavior which siphons energy away from self-improvement.

Kasumi, on the other hand, did not share his father’s looks as exactly as his brother. He had inherited his father’s silver hair but his eyes were a forest green, as if the green of Mei’s eyes had had a single drop of black from Kakashi’s dropped into them, making them a more earthy green. Kasumi had inherited both of Mei’s bloodline limits, much to her joy. However, he also appeared to have chakra reserves akin to his father’s. This made Mei both proud and over-protective of him in particular.

Mei was proud of their family. But this train of thought had taken her to what she’d actually meant to be thinking of: what were they going to do about their children’s formal ninja training? The argument went in circles in her mind until Kakashi called a stop for lunch.

The Hatakes dropped out of the trees onto the ground. Kasumi stumbled a little on his landing but Roka was quick to help him straighten up. Kakashi pulled off his pack and began handing out the children’s lunches. Fujita collected both hers and her sister’s and the two of them went to sit down together in the foliage. 

Kakashi approached Mei, box extended. She took it, thanking him quietly, and went to turn away. Kakashi grasped her arm, “Mei, I-”

“It’s alright Kakashi, I know that-” Mei stopped talking and they both stiffened. There was someone approaching. “Get the girls.”

“Right,” Kakashi immediately replied. They put all of their energy into the task at hand. Fortify. Observe. Act. 

Mei grasped Kasumi and practically threw him over her shoulder on her way to her eldest son. Kasumi began to protest that he was too old to be carried but stopped when he’d registered the look on his mother’s face. He mentally prepared himself for a fight.

“Hisano, Fujita, here, now.” Kakashi barked. The girls abandoned their lunches and met their father halfway, turning as they reached him to form a triangle, guarding their father’s back. At their height it was more like guarding Kakashi’s legs but it was the thought that counted.

Mei and the boys maneuvered to Kakashi’s side and the formation changed again, Mei and Kakashi on the outside with the children forming an inner ring inside their guard. It was in this formation in which a single man met them, walking out of the trees. He wore a silver tunic with a mist pattern on it made up of red lines. He wore no headband but his black hair was tied back in a high ponytail. As he approached them, a javelin made of ice materialized in his right hand. 

“Ice style,” Mei quietly gasped.

Kakashi’s eyes narrowed as he and Mei oriented their defense against him. “I thought your clan had died out?”

“No thanks to you,” the man sneered back.

Kakashi growled low in his throat.

“No thanks to either of you actually,” the man glared at Mei pointedly. “I was saved by a man who appreciates blood.” His dark eyes rested on the family hungrily.

“I’ll handle this,” Mei whispered to her husband.

Kakashi agreed and changed his stance again as Mei walked away from them toward the mysterious man. As she did so the ninja threw his javelin straight at her. Mei smiled, built chakra up in her chest, and spewed boiling mist at the spear. The weapon sublimated immediately in the intense heat.

“You might be a little out-classed,” Mei said resting her hands on her hips. “And there’s no way you’re laying a hand on our children.”

“We’ll see,” the man retorted. His hands wove through a series of signs and shards of ice split out of the ground making a trail straight to Mei. Kakashi shifted the group to the left while Mei dove and rolled to the right.

“Dad,” Roka said once they’d repositioned. The boy began to step forward but Kakashi held him back with a hand. He immediately turned and looked at his son. “Dad I can help, Mom doesn’t have to fight alone,” Roka pleaded, pushing against Kakashi’s hand.

Kakashi, keeping his senses on any possible attacks headed their way, fully turned toward Roka and knelt down, blocking the fight from his son’s view. He also captured the attention of his other children. “Your Mother isn’t fighting alone. We’re here with her. But she can handle this herself.” Kakashi felt the searing heat of a pool of lava being created on the forest floor behind him. He could hear the crackling of the nearby trees as they caught fire.

“But Dad,” Roka earnestly looked at his father.

“Roka, I said no,” Kakashi said a little too harshly. Kakashi’s voice softened, “she’ll be too worried about protecting you. Just stay here and-” Kakashi cut himself off. It was eerily quiet behind him. He could hear the trees crackling in the flames but there was no other sound of movement.

Confused, the head of the Hatake family slowly turned around and stood up, ice gripping his heart. A lingering voice taunted from the silence, “what made you think that we wanted your children?”

A chill dripped down Kakashi’s spine as he stretched out his senses. His eyes took in the falling tree trunks engulfed in flames, the puddle of lava nearby, but there was no one.

The man was gone and he’d been able to take Mei with him by force. The javelin had been a ploy to lure Mei out and make them think that he wasn’t much of a threat. The dark-haired ninja had specifically prepared himself to fight Mei and Mei alone. Kakashi’s brain rushed through his conclusions, horror washing over him.

The Hokage fell to his knees. His whole body felt cold.

Kakashi felt a small hand on his shoulder and looked up to meet Roka’s scared eyes. “Dad, are you okay?” When Kakashi didn’t answer Roka continued, “he- he took Mom.” The boy was panting and blinking profusely.

Kakashi heard one of his girls trying very hard to stifle a sob behind him. He slowly got to his feet, his movements jerky and uncoordinated.

“Dad?” Roka asked, grasping his father’s hand.

Kakashi started and looked at his son. The boy was almost in tears. The veteran ninja closed his eyes and fisted his hands, pushing Roka’s away in the process. Willing away his emotions, the former ANBU took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again Roka took a step back, uneasy.

Roka had seen his father look disappointed, furious, and sad. This look reminded him of those but was none of them. This was something else. It was a blank coldness that made Roka question for a moment if this was his father. The man didn’t seem like his father at all. His dark eyes held no warmth, no love, they were flat and expressionless, like the unforgiving night sky when you’re lost.

Kakashi mutely bit his own thumb and his hands weaved familiar signs. In a moment Pakkun, Bull, Urushi, Bisuke, Akino, Uhei, Guruko, and Shiba all appeared in a puff of smoke. Pakkun’s usual greeting died in his throat upon seeing his boss. Kakashi stood up and his hounds straightened.

“Guruko, Shiba, head to the Mist immediately. A ninja of unknown affiliation who uses ice style has kidnapped Lady Mei. I believe she was the intended target of a larger group. I want to know who they think may have done this in case we can’t locate them otherwise. I want names, not speculation. Go. Now.” The two dogs dashed away.

“Uhei, Akino, Bisuke, Urushi, Pakkun, you will stay here to get a scent and then spread out. I want you to find that man. If nothing else find Lady Mei.” Uhei, Akino, Bisuke, and Urushi did as they were told, using the lava pool as a starting point. Pakkun remained next to Bull.

“Bull, you will come with me and the children to the Leaf. You will stay with them along with other suitable protection. Then I will be gathering a team, if any Leaf ninja are available, and I’ll rejoin the pack.”

Kakashi’s cold eyes fell on Pakkun. The pug took this as permission to speak. “I’ll stay with you boss.” It wasn’t a request. 

Kakashi continued to stare at him. Pakkun looked back, careful to keep his face firm but respectful. The tension in their countenances disturbed Roka. He took another step back, almost bumping into Kasumi.

“Fine,” Kakashi finally said. He turned to his children, “Hisano, Fujita, if you can’t keep up then Bull will carry you, understand?”

The girls’ eyes widened in surprise. Bull hadn’t carried them for any reason in years; he hadn’t had to. Still, they nodded mutely in response.

Then Kakashi was gone, Pakkun keeping right on his heels. It took the children a second to realize that their father was already on his way. Bull looked at them expectantly and they took off into the trees after the man who resembled their father.

000000

Izumo and Kotetsu were placidly sitting at the main gate to the Leaf Village. That was until Izumo looked up and saw an odd sight. Lord Sixth was sprinting down the road toward the gate with his two sons thrown over his shoulders. Trailing behind him were two of his summons. One was much larger than the other and that one appeared to be carrying the Sixth’s two daughters. 

“What the-” Izumo began but Kakashi was already past him, without a look or even slowing down.

Kotetsu picked his jaw up off of the ground and turned to his partner, “where is Lady Mei?” The whole scene made him uneasy, the feeling creeping into his stomach.

After a beat Izumo, still staring after the retreating Hokage, said, “you’d better send a message to the Uchihas. Tell them to appear in the Seventh’s office at once.”

Less than a minute later Kakashi was in Naruto’s office with his dogs and exhausted children. Sakura and Sasuke appeared moments after their arrival.

“What?! What happened?” Sakura took in Roka sitting on the floor, Kasumi splayed out flat on his back panting, and the twins leaning against Bull for support. 

“Lady Mei has been kidnapped,” Naruto answered, his eyes not leaving Kakashi’s stony face. “By an ice style user. His master may be a bloodline collector.”

Sasuke stiffened but said nothing.

Kakashi spoke for the first time and his voice gave Sakura shivers. “I’ll need Captain Yamato to watch my children. Bull will remain here with them. I also need to know who’s available to track that man down.” He was not asking permission.

Sasuke didn’t know if he should be concerned or impressed. He’d never seen Kakashi look so severe. Sakura frowned in worry.

Naruto nodded, giving his consent. 

“I’ll go with you,” Sasuke said immediately.

“Me too,” Sakura seconded.

Just then there was a knock on the door. Recognizing the chakra behind it Naruto called for them to enter. Sai and Yamato stepped into the room like shadows.

Kakashi continued as if they hadn’t been interrupted. “No Sasuke, if this man’s master is truly collecting bloodlines it would be impractical for you to assist while risking your own capture. It’s the same reason I’d rather have Yamato here in the Leaf.” Kakashi looked at his old friend pointedly, acknowledging him for the first time.

Yamato frowned in response, taking in Kakashi’s demeanor with a feeling of foreboding. The ANBU, as usual, anticipated his role. “I would, of course, be happy to watch the children for you senpai.” He gave said children an encouraging smile that they didn’t see. Their various looks of distress were aimed at their father’s stiff back.

Kakashi nodded briefly at Yamato and turned to look at his female student. “Are you up for this Sakura?” She straightened under his harsh gaze.

She had never seen him like this, not during Wave, not during the War, never. It was terrifying. But, she mused, judging Captain Yamato’s reaction…was this what Kakashi was like during his ANBU days? Sakura nodded at her sensei and said, “yes sir.”

“I would also like to offer my abilities,” Sai said suddenly. He and Kakashi exchanged a look and Kakashi nodded.

“You have five minutes to prepare,” Kakashi said and then he was gone. Pakkun remained, saving his energy for the run ahead.

Sai also teleported out of the office almost immediately. Sakura started, surprised by their sudden departure, and then teleported away with Sasuke on her heels. “I’ll help you pack,” he said when they got to their home.

Left in the office was Naruto, Yamato, Pakkun, Bull, and the Hatake children. Roka in particular, stared at where his father had been a moment before. He hadn’t even said goodbye.

Naruto looked at the pug. He wanted to question Pakkun or even Yamato but not with his sensei’s children present. Pakkun returned his look with a despairing one. Naruto’s heart sank and he remained silent behind laced fingers.

000000

Five minutes later Kakashi, Pakkun, Sakura, and Sai were at the main gate. Naruto, Sasuke, Yamato, Bull, Roka, Kasumi, Fujita, and Hisano were also there to say farewell. Izumo and Kotetsu still didn’t know what was happening but they knew better than to ask a former kage about his business.

Kakashi had a fresh pack on his back and a larger weapons pouch strapped to his belt than the one he usually wore. Sai, to his teammate, didn’t look like he’d prepared at all but Sakura knew better. She had her traveling pack as well. The kunoichi normally would have gone with just a simple pouch but she wanted to be prepared for any medical emergency. A conversation she and Kakashi had had when the twins were born flitted through her mind. She shivered again, afraid for her sensei.

Just before they left Yamato took the kunoichi aside. “Sakura, take care of Kakashi alright?”

Sakura nodded, as if the suggestion went without saying.

“No, I mean it,” Yamato said, face set. “This is- this is bad.” Yamato spared Kakashi a glance and frowned at what he saw. “If he has a mental break at a critical moment it could get you all killed.” Sakura knew what he meant. “He’s never broken before, not completely, but this- I haven’t seen him like this in years. Just keep an eye on him, please.”

They both looked over at Kakashi who was mutely hugging each of his children in turn. The boys were hiding their feelings well but the younger two were consistently sniffing.

As Kakashi turned to go Roka spoke up, “Da- Father?”

Kakashi stopped and tilted his head, a sign to Roka that he was listening. He did not turn around.

“Bring Mom back?” Roka’s voice cracked. He attempted to cover it with a hasty cough.

Kakashi was impossibly still for a long moment. He was staring down the road ahead and for a horrible moment Sakura didn’t think he was going to respond. Then he finally said, “I will.”

Sakura’s face darkened. She turned to Yamato who had also been watching the exchange with a deepening frown. When he turned back to her she looked her former Captain in the eye and echoed her sensei with her own promise, “I will.”


	15. Kidnapped: Part 2 of 3

At the blistering pace that Kakashi set, they followed Pakkun’s nose toward the rest of the pack. Pakkun reported that the others were heading north which puzzled Sakura. The Hatake family had been east of the Leaf when Mei was captured. Considering that the entire pack was moving north they must be on to something.

Unfortunately for the mood of the mission, the rescue party was unable to rejoin the pack in the few hours of daylight left to them. It was Pakkun who had to broach the subject of stopping for the night. Sakura didn’t dare and Sai wouldn’t attempt to tell his Hokage how to execute a mission.

“We still have a lot of ground to cover,” Kakashi argued in a dull monotone.

“We need to be ready for a fight tomorrow,” Pakkun retorted. “Getting there sooner doesn’t do Mei any good if you aren’t in a condition to fight.”

Sakura was grateful to the little pug but did not envy him. Kakashi stared daggers into his smallest summon. The air chilling several degrees had nothing to do with the set sun. Pakkun took Kakashi’s anger in stride, loyal to the end.

Sai broke the ice by commenting that the pug’s logic was sound. In response, Kakashi threw off his pack and scaled a tree. “I’ll take first watch,” his frigid voice drifted down from the foliage.

“What’s the logic in getting sleep before a fight if we know he isn’t going to rest at all?” Sakura whispered to Sai as they bedded down for the night.

Sai didn’t wait long to respond. “If Lord Hokage is not going to sleep that’s not our concern. His sleeplessness should not keep us from sleeping and readying ourselves to the best of our ability. He will need our help tomorrow and in the days to come.” After saying this, as if to solidify his point, Sai rolled over and his breathing immediately evened out.

Sakura sighed in exasperation and fell back onto her bedroll. She stared up at the stars as she tried to fall asleep. They winked back at her uselessly; they couldn’t tell her how to help her sensei. She was surprised several hours later when Sai woke her for her watch. She was further shocked when she sat up and saw Kakashi sleeping in his bedroll.

“He’s actually asleep?!” Sakura whispered to Sai as she got up.

Sai nodded in the silence of the cool night air.

“But how?” Sakura protested, unable to fathom her sensei sleeping soundly while his wife was in jeopardy.

Sai whispered, “ANBU are trained to sleep wherever and whenever they can to better accomplish their mission. On the other hand, they are also trained to go without sleep for days if that is what the mission requires.” Sai glanced at Kakashi’s still form. “The mission does not require it. If time to rest is available it must be utilized for the good of the mission.”

Sakura frowned as she too looked at Kakashi as Sai bid her goodnight. Throughout her entire watch she kept checking on him but he was asleep as Sai had said. Her night watch was uncomfortable at best with her brain continuously turned her worries over and over, keeping them fresh.

Kakashi woke immediately at dawn as if on a timer. He organized breakfast and packed his things, quietly and efficiently. Sakura never thought she’d miss her sensei’s books so much.

Hours after they’d taken to the road Pakkun quickened his pace. “The rest of the pack is just ahead. They’re waiting for us.”

“Why?” Kakashi asked sternly but Pakkun had no answer.

The answer was clear when they arrived. The hounds had found an entrance to a bunker shielded with jutsu and physical traps. This was where Mei and the man’s scent had led them.

“How do we-” Sakura began but Sai shushed her with a finger to his lips. He silently pointed a pale finger at Kakashi who was crouched behind cover looking over what his dogs had found. The way his eyes darted hither and thither, Sakura could tell that he was analyzing the set up.

Kakashi withdrew a kunai. “Pakkun,” he addressed the pug and used the kunai as a pointer, “set off that trap there, by the third tree from the right.” Kakashi then removed Pakkun’s vest and headband for him. 

As nonchalantly as a stray, Pakkun frolicked over to the tree in question. To Sakura it looked ridiculous but to someone who didn’t know that Pakkun was a summon, he’d just look like a lost dog wandering around. When the pug reached the appropriate tree he raised his leg and the trap immediately went off. As kunai flew everywhere, Pakkun yipped convincingly in fright and scurried off in another direction. He circled back to rejoin the group.

In moments the door to the bunker opened and a woman with brown hair appeared. She slipped through the underbrush surrounding the bunker toward the trap that Pakkun had sprung, disabling the others as she went. When she arrived at what the Hokage had correctly identified as the outermost defense, Kakashi’s kunai sprouted out of her forehead as if it were a magic trick. He was beside her before she hit the ground.

“Bury her,” Kakashi ordered Akino and Uhei as he mentally noted a dark mark on the girl’s exposed shoulder. It looked like four arrows shooting into each other in a circle. Kakashi frowned but said nothing as the corpse was taken away. Then she was gone as if she’d never existed.

Sai took this as an opportunity to advance but Sakura was shocked into immobility. It had been such a seamless death, so silent, so cold. Her sensei, her Hokage had never been the warmest person but this was a side to him she wasn’t sure she wanted to get to know.

The kunoichi was jolted out of her thoughts by an ink snake that had bumped her foot to get her attention. Looking up she saw Kakashi, Sai, and the pack waiting for her. She made her way forward, not noticing the other ink snakes in the grass headed in the opposite direction.

“Once we get the door open,” Kakashi was saying to the pack as Sakura crept up to the group, “fan out, follow her scent. We’ll follow you,” he indicated Sai and Sakura with a nod of his head. “How and when we locate her will dictate our next move.”

Sakura tried not to imagine what the course of action would be if Mei was not alive when they reached her.

Despite all of the traps and security the bunker door opened with no resistance. Kakashi eyed the round metal door suspiciously but there was nothing indicating that an alarm had been tripped.

“One of Orochimaru’s designs,” Sai commented.

Kakashi nodded in response.

Sakura’s mouth dropped open, “he didn’t-”

“No,” Pakkun cut her off. “He hasn’t been here in years. I remember his scent well. This was one of his hideouts alright but unless he’s orchestrating this from a distance, I don’t believe he’s involved.” As Pakkun said this the rest of the pack slipped inside as Kakashi had instructed.

After a moment there was a grunt of a signal and with Kakashi in the lead, the four of them followed the pack in.

Sakura frowned as they made their way through the dark and extensive tunnels. The familiar layout brought back bad memories.

The medical kunoichi was beginning to think that the place was deserted when she saw a light up ahead coming through a doorway. The passage was the first one they’d seen in the long tunnel they’d been traversing. Kakashi stopped and cautiously glanced inside of the opening. What he saw made him recoil and pause. The pack minus Pakkun had already gone in so it wasn’t the enemy he’d spotted.

Slowly, Kakashi rounded the corner and entered hugging the wall on the other side. Sai waited a beat and then followed. Sakura did the same. What she saw made her pulse quicken and the breath leave her lungs.

The door led onto a long balcony over a chasm. On the other side of the gap were various floors and rows of cells. She could see a single shadowy shape in almost all of them. There had to be at least a hundred prisoners if not two. Scanning the massive room, she didn’t see anyone else but those in the cells. But she’d paused for too long. She now saw that the balcony was just a landing that wrapped all around the multi-storied cavern. Kakashi and the pack had already made their way to the cell side. Sai waited at the corner for her.

Sakura hurried after them, observing the metal catwalks in front of each row of cells and the staircases that connected the floors. As Sai and Sakura hurried after Kakashi, Sakura’s eye kept being drawn to the metal around them. It looked like any other metal she’d seen, same color, texture, but there was something odd about its shape, something she couldn’t put her finger on.

She was abruptly pulled out of her thoughts when she noticed Kakashi and the pack stop at a particular cell. Her sensei stared into it for a moment, then said something to his hounds and they took off once more. Pakkun, again, remained at Kakashi’s side, giving him a concerned look.

Sakura and Sai approached the pair slowly, as if running up to Kakashi would spook him. Kakashi stood before Mei’s cell. She was sitting up with her back against the left-hand wall either asleep or unconscious, Sakura couldn’t tell. There seemed to be some sort of chakra suppression device wrapped around her chest like a claw clasping her torso. Something in Sakura’s own chest clenched at the sight. That explained why all the inmates they’d passed had been asleep. They were all drained so that they couldn’t try to escape.

“Why bother putting them in cells if they’re all wearing chakra suppressors?” Sakura commented. Then she clamped her mouth shut, hoping she hadn’t upset the silver-haired man next to her. 

“In case they accidently picked someone up like Naruto who could destroy one if he really tried,” Kakashi replied absentmindedly. He was examining the bars.

“Seamless,” Sai said in surprise following Kakashi’s gaze.

Sakura looked at the vertical metal bars and realized that he was right. There were no doors to the cells and the iron didn’t appear to have been fashioned into bars but naturally occurring that way. Just like… “Captain Yamato’s houses,” Sakura said aloud.

Kakashi nodded in agreement with Sakura’s line of thinking. “Metal manipulation. A bloodline skill that the Leaf doesn’t even know what elements are used to make it work.” After a moment Kakashi said, “Sakura?”

She nodded, took a stance, and kicked the bars from the side. The bar she’d targeted, and the four behind it, pinched as if someone had used their fingers to pull aside blinds on a window. This left a space big enough for a person to stoop through.

Sakura waited but Kakashi motioned for her to go first. After giving him a strange look Sakura hurried in with her medical pack already half slung off of her back. Kakashi followed and Sai after him. Pakkun remained outside.

“I can’t do much until we get this off of her,” Sakura stated, gesturing at the suppressor. 

“Lightning would short it out but I could harm her in the process,” Kakashi said frowning.

“Let me try,” Sai said, moving himself forward between them. They formed a protective half-circle around Mei.

Sai removed a scroll from his pouch and rolled it out flat on the ground. He quickly penned out a seal that looked like a starburst but the center of it he left blank. Once that was complete he drew one final symbol on the center of the chakra suppressor. He lifted his hand into a single sign and the seal peeled itself off of the scroll. It settled onto the chakra suppressor with the starburst pattern centering on the final symbol. The completed seal glowed gold and the chakra suppressor seemed to crush in on itself, as if it had been smashed, and fell away from Mei. Sakura rushed forward but Mei was already stirring.

Mei looked around with blurry eyes and tried to push herself off of the wall. Sakura held her back, whispering assurances as she checked her vitals.

“Sakura my hands,” Mei groaned through gritted teeth.

Sakura quickly turned her attention to the indicated appendages. The skin on Mei’s hands was red and blistered, especially at the tips of her fingers. “If you can feel them then that’s a good sign,” Sakura said trying to be cheerful. Frostbite or anything relating to it wasn’t something that happened much in the Land of Fire. “The outer layer of skin is going to shed but its replacement will grow under it.” Sakura began to speed up the process with glowing green hands.

“He froze my hands together,” Mei said remembering. “To keep me from weaving signs- where are the children?” Mei interrupted herself as she continued to blink the sleep away from her eyes. She spotted Kakashi’s silver hair but he was walking away from her. “Kakashi?” He did not respond.

Something cold clenched up inside of the pink-haired kunoichi when Kakashi didn’t answer. She shot him an angry look that he didn’t see before explaining the situation to Mei. Meanwhile Kakashi consulted with his summons who were reporting back.

After a quick conference Kakashi returned. “We have some options,” he stated to the assembled group. “Our intrusion appears to have gone unnoticed; we could leave without a fight.”

Sakura whipped around, shards of ice in her words. “Leave? What about all of those other ninja? What about the person who did this?”

“We’re most likely outnumbered and don’t have enough raw power to take him on,” Kakashi reasoned calmly. “These cages prove that this ninja is either absorbing the bloodlines of others somehow or he has ninja at his command with special bloodlines. No matter which we’re either outclassed or undermanned. The mission was to rescue Lady Mei. If trying to do anything else jeopardizes that mission we may lose her in the attempt.”

“I’m right here,” Mei said, beginning to get annoyed. “And I’m not completely useless.”

Kakashi looked at her for the first time. Their eyes locked but a mask shielded his feelings from her. Mei shut her mouth, frightened for the first time since she’d seen him in the cell with her.

Kakashi was compartmentalizing this situation, a tactic Mei hadn’t seen him resort to in years. She hoped the children were alright, that they will forgive him. Even then, it didn’t mean that Kakashi would forgive himself when this was over. He saw this reaction as necessary, to take it all on himself, but at what cost?

“You’re wrong Lord Hokage,” Sai cut in. “We are not outnumbered. There are three squads of Mist Black Ops waiting outside for our signal. Not to mention the relief from the Leaf that I’m sure is on its way.”

“What?” Sakura exclaimed.

Mei smiled.

Kakashi glanced at Sai, as cool as ever. “And what are they doing here?”

“I sent for them before we entered the bunker. Did you think that no one from the Mist was going to want to help us get Lady Mei back? Help you?” Sai leveled a piercing gaze at the former Hokage. “You are not alone.”

It was beginning to dawn on Mei how Kakashi must have reacted to this situation. When in high stress situations her husband preferred to shoulder things by himself despite his love of teamwork; it was an old habit that she’d been trying to break him of for years. She silently thanked Sai, though she barely knew the man.

Kakashi nodded curtly at Sai and turned to Sakura. “Sakura, make a clone and leave her with us. You take Lady Mei to the surface and rendezvous with the Black Ops. If Guruko and Shiba are with them, tell them that they’re dismissed.

“If the Black Ops have medics with them, send them in and you remain with Lady Mei. We’ll need your clone to open the cells if the teams don’t have a heavy-hitter.” Kakashi caught sight of Mei’s scowl and said, “hard as that may be to believe it is a possibility.” Kakashi knew that Mei, like himself, disliked her Black Ops being slighted. “If there’s a problem, dispel her as a signal for help. Lady Mei is still the priority.”

Sai and Sakura’s newly formed clone stepped out of the cell and moved next door to help the occupant. Kakashi moved to leave also.

“Kakashi,” Mei said once more. Sakura had put Mei’s arm around her shoulder and was helping her precious charge up. Kakashi stopped and half turned, only one eye was visible but he was looking at her. 

Mei opened her mouth but no words came out. They stared at each other for a long moment. Mei waited in vain for Kakashi to lower his guard but it remained firmly in place. Then, quick as a flash, she felt cloth brush her lips and he was gone.

Mei stared after her husband in shock.

Kakashi jumped down several floors and stopped, collecting himself. His hands were clenched at his sides and his eyes were narrowed but glaring at nothing. The Hatake’s tail stayed a floor up, giving him privacy without losing sight of him. Pakkun did have a sensitive side after all. 

Rising, the former ANBU sounded a low whistle and waited. Seconds later his pack responded and Kakashi and Pakkun took off at a run. They arrived at a door on the base floor of the cavern. Kakashi could hear Sakura’s clone above them break through cell after cell. Kakashi wondered why they had met no resistance. If the man behind this thought that the ninja were no longer useful to him then why did he keep them alive? 

Reaching the door, Kakashi dismissed his summons. Pakkun began to protest but Kakashi was very firm. The pug gave him one last worried glance before disappearing.

The Sixth Hokage took a breath and entered the door boldly. Through the doorway was another large room, possibly an old laboratory. Sealing scrolls were scattered everywhere. There were several long tables and behind one of them stood the black-haired ninja and another man.

“Master,” the ice user said at Kakashi’s approach and the other man looked up lazily. He had turquoise eyes and dark skin. In contrast his hair was a very pale yellow and hung loosely to his waist. He wore a simple white tunic, almost like what doctors wore. He smiled at Kakashi and put down the papers he’d been poring over.

“Hatake Kakashi,” the man said. “The Sixth Hokage himself. Here for your wife I presume?”

Kakashi said nothing and began to walk to the right, circling the two men.

Undeterred by Kakashi’s silence the man continued, “you know I’m surprised Taka was able to take her so easily.” Said man oriented himself to counter Kakashi’s repositioning. “I guess that’s what happens when a husband leaves his wife to fend for herself.”

Kakashi continued his silence, his face a blank mask.

Still not getting a rise out of his prey the blonde said, “but you were so worried that we were after your little brats. It never occurred to you that our target might be her. Your protection of your children is legendary so why attempt to take them? But I never dreamed it would be that easy to take your wife. What a pathetic excuse for a Hokage. Can’t even keep his own family safe. Constantly living in fear. Tell me, what is that like?”

Taka was slowly turning the floor into an ice rink. 

Kakashi was on the other side of the room by now and sent a fireball at the pale haired man. He jumped aside and Taka created an ice wall which melted almost immediately. It gave them the second they needed to get away however. Kakashi continued to stalk them.

“It’s not as if your wife is anything special,” the man continued calmly. “Lava style? Boil style? Rare when both are in one person I suppose but hardly unique to my purpose.”

“And what is that?” Kakashi asked too calmly.

“To combine all unique bloodlines within myself so that I can wield them all.” The man said simply.

“I didn’t know Orochimaru had such a disciple,” Kakashi quipped. “He’s alive again, maybe you two should compare notes?”

The blond tutted. “Orochimaru worked too slowly. He wasted so much time trying to _understand_ things. Then he needed to put half of his energy toward keeping himself alive long enough to understand everything? What a waste of time. Doesn’t he know that if you possess all the bloodlines you become immortal?” Kakashi was surprised to realize that the man was completely solemn about this declaration.

“See, I understood where you were going until that part. I believe you’ve fallen off the deep end,” Kakashi let the man monologue. Time was on his side.

The man smirked. “I’ve gone off of the deep end you say? No I think not. Every time I add a new bloodline to myself I feel stronger. But I also realize that there must be more, so much more that I’m just unaware of. And that’s where you come in.”

I was actually hoping, in your haste, that you’d bring some of your special acquaintances with you. Good friends with the only living wood style user? A student who’s an Uchiha? A Hyuga married to your successor? And unsealed too, she would have been quite the prize. Interesting company you keep Kakashi. It’s a pity but you alone are enough for now. Maybe they’ll come to rescue you later.”

“Me?” Kakashi asked trying to hide his confusion. He and Taka continued to eye each other. “What do you mean?”

“Pitiful though your reserves are, white chakra is still rare on this continent,” the man’s grin widened. “It’s amusing that you were too short sighted to realize that your wife wasn’t the target either.”

Taka suddenly rose up out of an ice sheet on the floor behind Kakashi. Kakashi ducked and just missed the attempted snap of a chakra suppression vest closing around him. Taka threw ice shuriken at Kakashi as he retreated. Kakashi countered with a blast of fire.

“If you’re so special then why do you let your subordinate fight for you?” Kakashi queried once he was out of range. “A subordinate who, I’m not sorry to say, was the reason none of my ‘special friends’ were allowed to come here.” 

The man faltered for a second, glancing at Taka, but quickly disregarded Kakashi’s attempt at distracting him. “You’re a tall reed to be cut down,” the man said grinning manically. He removed his white tunic revealing a bare chest and back covered in seals. The black marks and his skin were almost indistinguishable from each other. Kakashi, however, knew what to look for and when he started counting the amount of seals was startling. They looked almost like Orochimaru’s curse seals since each tattoo was a different symbol. “However, don’t let anyone say that Usagi backed down from a direct challenge.”

Kakashi took the tattoos in, barely hiding his horror. He quickly lost count as the symbols clearly went beyond the skin he could see. 

“Do you like them?” Usagi asked. “One for each bloodline I’ve added to myself. You see too that there is plenty of room for yours here.” He grinned wickedly. “I haven’t mastered them all yet but I’ll have time once I unlock my immortality.”

Suddenly a wall of ice mirrors rose up creating a dome with Usagi and Kakashi in the middle. Kakashi watched them rise up without apparent concern. He’d seen this trick before.

“Which to use first?” Usagi mused aloud. “How about-” His hands weaved through some hand signs, then he stopped. “No, that’ll kill you immediately. It wouldn’t due to lure you here and then have to kidnap one of your children anyway. They’re guarded much too carefully.” He weaved more signs and then stopped himself again. “No no, too messy.”

As the man continued to talk to himself Kakashi briefly wondered how insane the man really was. He weaved some signs of his own. Lightning danced throughout the dome and the ice mirrors shattered. 

Taka was discouraged but the display seemed to make Usagi grin all the more. He weaved a new set of signs and blew a wave of scalding air at the falling shards, vaporizing them instantly. Kakashi called upon a water wall as a shield from the blistering heat but the air still crackled with the lack of moisture.

Now that Kakashi knew what he was dealing with he began to form a strategy. Unexpectedly the water from Kakashi’s wall disintegrated into thick mist. Kakashi frowned in confusion behind his mask and jumped back; he hadn’t seen Usagi weave any new hand signs. As he hurried away from the possibly deadly fog he almost ran into Kaori. The blonde’s hand was held steady in a sign but released it to steady him instead.

The Mist kunoichi smiled as Kakashi straightened, “alright there Kakashi?”

“Kaori,” Kakashi breathed in startled acknowledgement. He turned his attention back to the battleground and saw dozens of ninja jump into the fray using the mist as cover. He turned back to his wife’s best friend, “why aren’t you with Lady Mei?”

The woman started at the formality in his tone and address but quickly shook it off. “She wanted me to come down here and check on you.” _And now I know why._

Kakashi didn’t respond for a second, he was listening to the screams of his opponents elect.

She continued, “I’d leave them be if I were you. It’s mostly us in there but there are also prisoners that your students have been springing. Some of them have been locked up here for quite awhile and would like some payback.” 

“Commander,” another Mist ninja called out, loping up to them. He had short black hair and a toothy grin.

“It’s Lord Hokage now Hoshi,” Kaori scolded. “The war is over.”

“Right right,” the good-natured ninja said. “But I-”

“If you two would excuse me,” Kakashi said vanishing instantly.

Hoshi stared in shock at the place his former commander had recently occupied. He turned to Kaori, “what’s with him?”

Kaori frowned, hoping he’d gone to join her friend above ground. “I do not know.” The woman apprehensively filed the information away for later and turned to business. “Have the prisoners all been evacuated?”


	16. Kidnapped: Part 3 of 3

The next few days were graciously calm. With a dead man who’d somehow absorbed dozens of bloodlines, a handful of his followers captured or killed, and a couple hundred freed ninja needing treatment there was a lot of information to sift through. A lot of paperwork for Naruto, Chojuro, and the officials from the Land of Hot Springs but not so much for Mei or Kakashi to do. Although, as little as Mei saw him, she wouldn’t know one way or the other what Kakashi was doing.

Being unable to find him, a lot of the freed men and women came to Mei or Sakura to thank for their rescue. Each gracious ninja made Sakura feel that much worse. She hadn’t done much and Kakashi had almost left them all there. Sakura reasoned that they would have sent for help after Mei was safe but each gleeful face that came to her made that excuse less and less comforting.

Sakura insisted that all of the prisoners stay at least one night in the hospital for observation, much to Mei’s annoyance. Yamato brought the children to see her in the Leaf hospital and they never left. When Sakura and Sai came to visit, Mei saw the look of concern on Sakura’s face at Kakashi’s absence.

Mei could feel Kakashi haunting her hospital window. He never entered however, neither at the hospital nor later at Hokage Tower, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t catch a glimpse of him hovering outside.

Her apprehension only grew when, on the day that they were departing for their home, Kakashi only showed up at the last second to accompany them. Roka and Kasumi exchanged glances but said nothing. Mei only barely heard Hisano whisper to her sister, “is Daddy alright?” before Fujita shushed her.

Normally the quiet of the leisurely trip would have made Mei feel peaceful. However the silence was pregnant with tension. Mei grew more apprehensive with every step. At first she’d been angry at Kakashi’s distance. She was aching for his comfort, especially after the rescue operation. However, this dissolved in the wake of her concern for her husband’s mental state. Kakashi hadn’t spoken one word to her that he didn’t have to. His continued distance frightened her.

_It’s over,_ Mei thought at him, _come back to me._

When they arrived at their home Kakashi went straight upstairs without even taking his pack off. Mei followed him and the children apprehensively fanned out. Roka watched his mother disappear up the stairs.

“Kakashi?” Mei asked when she’d closed the bedroom door behind her. 

Her husband walked toward the bed. Kakashi dropped his pack on the ground and his mask dropped with it. His hands began to tremble. He reached out to catch himself on the bed and collapsed onto it instead.

“Kakashi!” Mei rushed over to him. He was panting and shaking. His eyes were closed and he wasn’t responding to anything she said. Unsure of what to do, Mei laid down next to him and just held him. “Shh Kakashi it’s alright, it’s alright, everything’s fine. Calm down, please calm down.” Kakashi continued to shudder in her arms, a cold sweat breaking out all over his body. He did not answer her. She cried on his chest, unable to sooth him or even herself.

After what seemed like hours Kakashi slowly went limp. The shakes gradually decreased until they were just occasional tremors. He didn’t even twitch when Mei felt his forehead. It was cold and clammy. She shakily pulled the blankets over him. He was taking slow, shuddering breaths and Mei fell asleep next to him, exhausted. 

When Mei woke up there was a blanket over her as well and a glass of water on a side table. Kakashi hadn’t moved but his breathing had evened out.

Mei looked outside at the light. _Is this the same day or tomorrow?_ She got up, washed her face, and after one last look at Kakashi, went downstairs.

Four eager sets up eyes looked up at her as she descended. None of them made a move, they just looked at her with frightened eyes. Mei smiled at them and opened her arms. Hisano and Fujita launched themselves at their mother. Kasumi and Roka were not far behind.

“Oh my babies,” Mei said trying to hug them all at once. “I’m so sorry, you must have been so worried.”

Fujita pulled back and wiped her moist eyes. “We were but then Roka explained.”

“Did he?” Mei questioned, looking at her oldest. She’d already had her suspicions about who’d brought the water.

Hisano nodded. “Daddy’s sick.” Kasumi nodded as well. “You’re taking care of him.”

Mei almost laughed at how oversimplified that explanation was and yet, it was not inaccurate. She smiled at her wonderful children.

Then Roka said, “I made dinner if you want some.”

Mei wiped Hisano’s wet cheek with her thumb and said, “thank you darling. That would be lovely.”

Despite Mei’s words she didn’t eat anything. The food grew cold before her but Roka was the only one who noticed. As the other children gradually wandered off to play or train Roka remained.

“Dad’s going to be okay isn’t he?”

Mei wished she didn’t have to lie. She honestly had no idea if their lives were going to be the same. Kakashi could wake up and get back to his normal self in time. But it was just as likely that he’d wake up and no longer be the man she’d married. She knew her husband had had several mental breaks throughout his life but he’d never been broken. This could have been the tipping point where his sanity lost out.

Roka was looking at her with pleading eyes. Mei took a breath and forced down the sob that was rising in her throat. As she opened her mouth to reassure her son she realized that she couldn’t do it. What she said instead was, “I hope so.”

The following silence was interrupted by a hesitant voice calling, “Mei?”

Mei turned and bolted up the stairs and into the master bedroom. Kakashi was half sitting up with a hand over his eyes. Mei rushed to his side, sitting on the bed and holding him to her. She ran her fingers through his hair in an attempt to sooth him but the fast and repeated strokes were panicky rather than pacifying.

“Are you alright?” Kakashi asked, hand still covering his eyes as if he had a headache.

“Yes Kakashi I’m fine. We’re all fine,” Mei whispered. She waited with baited breath.

“I- A- Are you alright?”

Mei felt her heart plummet into her stomach. Fear rose up within her. She repeated slowly, “I’m alright Kakashi.” _Are you?_

Kakashi gave a shuddering sigh but did not otherwise respond.

“Kakashi,” Mei said but he still did not move. She put her hand under his, cupping his cheek and tilting it toward her.

He removed the hand shielding his eyes and looked at her for the first time. His face was as open as a child’s. Fear, shame, and remorse battled for dominance. His eyes were like pools of ink, shining and simple.

They looked into each other’s eyes for a tense moment, then two. “I am so sorry,” Kakashi finally said, voice breaking. Then his hands were in his hair and he was taking in rapid and shuddering breaths. Tears fell from his eyes and Mei was shocked into silence, but not immobility. She quickly encircled her husband in her arms as he burst into tears. “I’m so sorry,” he moaned into her shoulder as his dam of emotions broke over the both of them.

Mei rubbed his back, shushing his protests and insistence on damnation.

“I couldn’t- And the children were so scared. I just _left_ them. How could I? I couldn’t even- And I shouldn’t have let you-” the flood of regret continued both in sentences and unintelligible babble.

Through it all Mei sat with him, rubbing his back and receiving his tears. Eventually the waves subsided and Kakashi’s breathing became even once more. Without raising his head he slowly lifted his arms and put them around her, holding her tightly.

“I don’t know what I would have done without you,” Kakashi whispered with a raw voice.

“You would have managed,” Mei responded with a sad smile.

She stopped rubbing his back when he suddenly straightened to look at her. His face was extremely pale but his eyes, though haunted, were back to their usual focus. “Not this time,” he said very seriously. “Not this time-” his voice disappeared into a whisper.

“There you go underestimating yourself again,” Mei said putting some cheer into her voice. She knew that Kakashi would never forsake their children, even if he didn’t believe himself capable of giving them everything they needed. Mei knew better.

He shook his head and closed his eyes, hand leaving Mei’s side to grip his forehead.

“What is it?” Mei demanded, worried again.

“Headache,” Kakashi responded. 

“Oh,” Mei gasped, remembering the water Roka had brought up earlier. She seized the water and handed it to him.

He accepted the glass gratefully and drained it. A contented sigh escaped his lips as he finished. He sat still with his eyes closed for a moment, empty glass dangling from his fingertips. Mei lifted it out of his hand delicately and ordered him to lie down.

For once Kakashi did not protest. He groaned as he laid back, sore muscles straining. “Mei I-”

“If you’re going to say you’re sorry you already covered that, I know.” Mei looked at him fondly. She leaned down, smoothed his sweaty hair back and kissed his forehead. Mei smiled down at him. “And we can talk to the children about it when you’re feeling better. Just rest for now.”

Kakashi looked back at her with intent eyes that were already half closed. “Don’t leave the house,” Kakashi sleepily requested.

Mei was happy to oblige. She shut the bedroom door quietly and closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against the wood, giving a silent prayer of thanks.

The former Mizukage hurried down the stairs, dress swishing, sweet relief bubbling in her heart. Roka, who was unable to focus on any training, was attempting to read. He looked up as his mother descended.

The joy on her face was the acknowledgement he hoped for but he had to be sure. “Dad’s okay?”

Mei’s smile broadened. After a brief contemplation on how to phrase her answer she said, “I think he will be. He’s still not a hundred percent but I think he’ll be okay.”

Roka nodded, a thoughtful scowl replacing his look of relief.

“Roka,” Mei said approaching her son. “Whatever he said or did-”

Roka shook his head. “No, it’s alright.” Mei’s eldest son was silent for a moment and then said, “Dad told me once that to be a true ninja, true to the code, we had to shed our emotions and put all energy toward the objective. But he also said that that was wrong.”

Mei waited for her son to continue. 

“I couldn’t understand why because the logic made no sense. Uncle Naruto can get away with it because he’s super strong. But the ninja code is there for a reason. It is the most effective way to complete any mission.” Roka shook his head. “Seeing Dad like that,” he paused. “I thought shedding our emotions was like when you and Dad get serious during a fight. This was nothing like that. It wasn’t him being serious, he wasn’t even Dad, not really.”

Mei silently pulled her son into a hug. She groped for a way to explain things. Finally she settled on, “Roka, your Father and I grew up during a very difficult time.” She paused to collect her thoughts and continued, “and he had a more difficult time than most. What you saw was his defense mechanism.”

“Against what?” Roka asked fearfully.

 _Mental collapse?_ Mei almost laughed bitterly but sighed instead. “Failure.” Silence reigned and Mei continued, “all he knew, all that he was willing to focus on, was that he had to get me back safely to our family, no matter the consequences to himself.” _Or others._ She sighed. Discuss her husband’s self-sacrificing tendencies with their eight year-old son? Mei opted to have that talk another time. 

“He shouldn’t do that,” Roka said firmly.

“Even for the family?” Mei played the devil’s advocate.

Roka frowned in thought.

“And you forget,” Mei added as an afterthought, “Uncle Naruto was not always so strong. But he followed his own path, as your father does. That’s why he told you the code was not absolute.”

Roka looked up at his mother. “I’m never going to school am I?”

Mei’s eyes widened at the change in topic. She sat down and pulled her son into her lap. For the first time in years he did not protest. “For your Father, the Leaf Village is his family, just as the Mist Village is mine.” With more confidence than she felt she said, “we’ll figure something out.” She kissed his hair and attempted to smooth out his silver spikes.

000000

The next day Mei was sitting with Kakashi in their bedroom. He was sitting up in bed eating his lunch.

“The children want to see you,” Mei said without preamble.

Kakashi’s spoon stilled.

“They don’t hold it against you,” Mei continued.

Kakashi set the tray aside. “I do.”

Silence filled the room.

“So you’re going to lock yourself away every time you screw up? Hiding is not going to make it up to them. What if I had actually died? What would you have done then?”

Kakashi’s voice sounded dead as he said, “I won’t let that happen.” 

“I could die at any time,” Mei said waving her hands dramatically. “Either from an enemy or something else! And you **will** be able to handle it, I know you can. But I don’t want you to waste one minute of our time together worrying about when it will end. I know you’re smarter than that Hatake Kakashi.”

Kakashi sighed. “I know.” Then, “I’ve missed them.”

Mei’s eyes softened into a smile. “I know. But you aren’t going to make it up to them by hiding,” she repeated. Then Mei’s voice rose in volume, “Roka you can bring them in now!”

Kakashi groped for the sheets of the bed, drawing them up. He sputtered, “at least let me get dressed.” He briefly wondered at what a sight he must look in his days old underclothes. He didn’t have time for any more contemplation as his four children burst into the room.

“Daddy!” Fujita squealed, launching herself onto the bed. Kakashi caught her at arm’s length so that her face didn’t bash into his. She eagerly asked, “are you feeling better?” He gave her an eye smile.

“We missed you.” Hisano followed more cautiously, aiming her jump so that she landed neatly at her father’s side. “Mommy’s bedtime stories aren’t as good as yours.”

This was news to Mei and she was a little saddened by the revelation. She consoled herself by acknowledging that stories about young Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke would be more entertaining to their children than retellings of her body retrieval missions. Nobody was perfect.

“We missed you Dad,” Kasumi said before also climbing into the bed.

Kakashi embraced his son in his turn. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

Kasumi smiled in quiet reply, so much like his mother that way. He snuggled next to his sister at Kakashi’s side.

“Roka?” Kakashi said, concern coloring his voice.

The eldest had stood at a distance but he too climbed into the bed and gave his father a long hug. Kakashi silently held him close, eyes closed. When Roka pulled back his dark eyes were bright, “I think I know a way that I can go to school.”

Kakashi frowned at the way his son brushed past the issue at hand. He wondered, not for the first time, at the trouble he must have given Minato-sensei when he was that age. _Forgive me sensei._ Out loud Kakashi said, “oh? Go on.”

“You said that the academy was four years long?” Roka prompted.

“Typically yes,” Kakashi replied, glancing at Mei to see if she knew where their son was going with this. She minutely shook her head in response.

“So why can’t I alternate one year in the Mist and one year in the Leaf?”

Mei bit her lip. She and Kakashi had thought of this before. Kakashi feared that, being genin level already, Roka would test out of one academy before he even got to do his first year at the other school. They weren’t at war and there shouldn’t be any rushed graduations. But there was still the issue of which village Roka would owe loyalty to even if the Leaf and Mist did accept the arrangement. 

“We have considered that,” Kakashi answered. He and Mei felt a flash of chakra outside and he paused. 

“Oh, that must be Kaori,” Mei realized. “She said she might come by today.” Mei left the room to let her friend in.

Kakashi continued, “but we still aren’t sure about some things. Let us talk it over?”

“But you and Mom take forever!” Roka exclaimed flopping down on his father.

Kakashi grunted. “That’s because it’s a big decision and we have to-”

“Analyze the facts,” the child chorused.

Kakashi blinked at his brood of geniuses. _Do I say that_ that _often?_

Just then Kaori walked in with Mei trailing behind her. The tall kunoichi was in her usual casual garb, a green A-line dress. The children chorused their greetings. 

“Kakashi,” she exclaimed. “Look at you, always getting so bent out of shape. Are you _always_ running off saving kage who get captured?”

“Only the red-headed ones,” Kakashi deadpanned. He’d reclaimed his lunch and took another bite.

Kaori blinked at him for a moment and then burst into laughter. Mei began to chuckle herself, half out of humor and half from relief that her husband was cracking jokes again, and then caught sight of her children’s bewildered faces. Their looks brought fresh laughter to her lips. Had Kakashi not told them about the Kazekage? Now that was a bedtime story that she knew they’d like. All she had to do now was beat Kakashi to the telling.

Kaori wiped a tear away from her eye as her laughter abated. “Only the red- oh man I have to tell Sora that one.” 


	17. Just Another Day

The door swung open as Kakashi and his sons entered their dwelling. The boys were dirty from sparring or what they considered to be sparring. Toddlers attempting to spar can be quite humorous.

Kasumi squealed at seeing his mother. He and Roka ran over to her. Kakashi saw Mei sitting at the table, cheek resting on her fist. He frowned as the boys’ excited voices woke her. The woman’s head jerked up and off of her hand and she turned, smiling at her sons even as she stifled a yawn. As she heaved herself to the side to receive their hugs, the boys didn’t fit on her lap anymore, Kakashi approached.

Mei looked up at her husband and he tilted his head in a silent question.

Mei sighed, exasperated. “I’m fine Kakashi, just a little tired.”

“You should go to bed if you’re tired,” Kakashi said trying to mask the anxiety in his voice. He fingered the scroll she’d been reading. “This isn’t that important.”

“News from the Mist is always important,” Mei responded automatically. “Besides, I don’t think I could sleep.”

Kakashi pointedly looked at the color of the scroll and raised an eyebrow. “So you don’t mind if I read the important news?” He scanned the document as Mei looked guiltily at the floor. “Aha, I can see why the refinishing of main street demanded your immediate attention,” Kakashi chided.

“Okay, so it wasn’t an urgent matter,” Mei confessed, “but I always read Chojuro’s reports.”

“And you can,” Kakashi agreed, taking her hand and pulling her up. “In bed.”

“Kakashi, it’s the middle of the day,” Mei stated, irritated with being babied.

“You were sleeping at the table!”

“Only a little.”

Kakashi sighed. “My pregnant wife, my _very_ pregnant _retired_ wife, doesn’t need to sleep at the table. She can rest in bed, where she’ll be comfortable. Now don’t make me carry you,” Kakashi added as Mei resisted his guiding hand.

Mei gave in and allowed Kakashi to lead her to the stairs with his left hand holding hers and his other hand on the small of her back. “Boys,” Kakashi said, “your mother is going upstairs to rest so please play quietly.”

At this Roka jumped up, followed closely by his little brother. “Can we help Mommy up the stairs too?” Roka asked, grasping Mei’s free hand. Kasumi also gripped her right hand.

Mei wanted to say something but Kakashi beat her to it. “Oh Mommy doesn’t really need the help but I do it anyway,” Kakashi informed his sons. Under his breath he added, “even though it’s for her own good.”

Mei snorted and playfully glared at her husband.

So the entire Hatake family traversed the stairs. At the landing the boys raced back to their toys. By the shouted exclamations from downstairs, Roka had won.

“I do believe I told them to play quietly,” Kakashi said to Mei as he turned down the covers.

“Oh they’re fine,” Mei said sitting down heavily on the mattress. “They’ll be quiet in a minute I’m sure.” She ran her hand over the sheets contentedly.

Kakashi frowned at her, “are you fine?”

Mei rolled her eyes at him as she laid herself down. “Yes I’m fine,” she snapped back, “will you stop asking me that if I take this nap?”

Kakashi eyed the fading red mark on her cheek from where her face had planted itself on her fist. He said nothing and sat down next to her.

“No you won’t,” Mei grumbled in defeat. She rubbed her belly as somebody on the inside kicked. Kakashi took a breath to speak but she cut him off. “I am fine. I’m not a porcelain doll you know. I’m your wife. I’m the former Mizukage for crying out loud.”

Kakashi tried the logical approach, “would we be arguing about this if you weren’t tired?”

Mei’s eyebrow twitched.

Kakashi immediately changed tactics. “I’m just worried about you. This pregnancy has been more difficult for you than the boys’ were. I just don’t want you to overdo it.”

The worry was actually showing on his face and Mei softened. “I will let you know when I get to that point.” She paused, thoughtful. “We can ask Sakura to come monitor the last few weeks, whatever we need to do.”

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair distractedly as he listened.

“You don’t trust me to make that call,” Mei challenged, getting irritated again.

Kakashi sighed. “No Mei, I trust you, I’m just so worried-” He trailed off and stood up to pace.

Mei leaned into her pillows and closed her eyes. “Relax Kakashi, you’re making me nervous.” She smirked and opening her eyes said, “let’s say you carry the baby next time. Then I can fret over you.”

Kakashi didn’t respond, he just continued to pace.

Mei frowned, her teasing usually got some sort of reaction. “Kakashi.”

He continued to pace; he didn’t appear to hear her.

Mei raised an eyebrow in irritation. It was annoying to have all of his attention and then suddenly none of it. It gave her whiplash. Without thinking, Mei pretended to cry out in pain. She immediately regretted it as her husband, eyes wide, flew over to her in a whirl of leaves. She took a split second to marvel at how they had gotten in the room before she had to confront the idiocy of what she’d just done.

“What was that? Are you alright?” Kakashi worried over her, hovering like a bee.

Mei bit her tongue. If she told him that she’d done it just to get his attention… Revulsion swept through her making her feel sick.

 _Maybe I am tired,_ Mei thought. _I’m not thinking clearly. What a wicked thing to do, and he was already so worried._ Mei bit her lip. She scrambled for words as Kakashi’s wide eyes stared into hers.

Taking a breath Mei said, “I’m alright Kakashi. I’m sorry for making you worry.” Mei reached out and cupped his check. “You’re right though, I should be resting more. I’ll rest if you don’t worry so much, okay?”

Kakashi nodded, some tension leaving his shoulders. “Okay.” He kissed her forehead and rose. “Let me know if there’s anything you need. I’ll try to keep the boys quiet.”

Mei smiled in response and Kakashi turned to leave. “Kakashi,” Mei called just before he shut the door. Said ninja stuck his head back in the room immediately, eyes alert. “I love you.”

Kakashi’s eyes softened. “I love you too.” He closed the door and Mei slept.


	18. The Vacation

The Hatake family entered Naruto’s office when he called. Inside they found not only the sitting Hokage but Sasuke and Sakura as well.

After greetings were exchanged Kakashi paused. “I didn’t think we’d receive such a full reception.” He looked at his three students suspiciously.

“Sensei, Mei,” Sakura began shifting her feet. “We’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.”

Mei turned and looked at her husband. He had a single eyebrow arched in Sakura’s direction, clearly as mystified as his wife. “Yes?” Kakashi encouraged his student to proceed.

Sakura turned to Naruto. “It isn’t just us,” Naruto continued for his teammate. “We’ve discussed it with your children as well.”

Both of Kakashi’s eyebrows disappeared behind his headband. The parents turned to look at all four of their children. Kasumi and the twins looked at their parents nervously but Roka kept his eyes steadfastly on the Hokage.

“You need a vacation,” Sasuke deadpanned. 

Mei blinked. Kakashi’s eyebrows fell into a thoughtful scowl.

“Idiot, why’d you have to just spit it out like that? You could have let them get used to the idea,” Naruto barked at Sasuke.

The raven haired man shrugged, crossing his arms. “You two were taking too long.”

Sakura’s eyes narrowed and Sasuke took half a step back. He didn’t take back what he said however.

“A vacation?” Mei repeated, glancing at Kasumi who looked guiltier than ever.

Roka jumped right in. “It’s not like you’re crabby or anything. It’s just that you two haven’t gone anywhere or done something for yourselves in ages. And day trips don’t count,” Roka headed his father off even as the former Hokage was opening his mouth. “We’re talking about a real vacation.”

“If I didn’t know any better I’d think you four were up to something,” Kakashi stated crossing his arms.

“They aren’t,” Sakura said quickly defending the young Hatakes. “It’s just now that Roka and Kasumi have graduated we figured you two could take a short break. Two weeks tops.”

“Why now?” Mei asked, warming up to the idea. She smiled reassuringly at Kasumi who sighed in relief.

“It’s not as if Roka and Kasumi can suddenly defend themselves better now that they’re chunin,” Kakashi said, his voice gaining an edge to it.

“We can take care of ourselves Dad,” Roka spat out instantly.

Kakashi’s eyebrow arched as he turned to look at his eldest son. Roka glared back.

Mei leaned in to whisper in Kakashi’s ear. “You two are **not** going to have this argument again. Not here.”

Kakashi sighed.

Kasumi spoke up, “we won’t leave the village while you’re gone. We’ll help Fujita and Hisano with their classes, all that.”

“Now I can’t leave the village either?” Roka grumbled to his brother.

“Why? Do you need money?” Kasumi quietly countered, knowing the answer.

“No,” Roka grunted, sulking.

“Do you want them to have their vacation or not? We already talked about this,” Kasumi reasoned.

“I know I know,” Roka whispered back. Louder so that everyone could hear he said, “right, we won’t be leaving the village. We’ll be safe and sound. I’m sure Aunt Hinata will come by and tuck us in as well.” He rolled his eyes.

“Roka don’t be disrespectful,” Mei reproached him.

Roka crossed his arms and said nothing.

“Roka,” Kakashi said, voice stern.

“Yes mother,” Roka responded. He shifted uncomfortably.

“So where do you want to go?” Mei asked Kakashi, trying to change the subject.

“Who said we were?” Kakashi replied, eyes half closed. “Seems to me we’re needed here.” He glanced at his eldest and Roka seemed to shrink.

“I’m sorry,” Roka said. “We really do want you to take some time off for yourselves.” Roka had calmed down and was speaking to the floor. “Kasumi and I will keep our eyes on things. I’m sure our sisters won’t give us any trouble.” He smiled at his youngest siblings. Hisano nodded eagerly. Fujita smiled in a way that could be interpreted as either mischievous or agreeable.

Mei’s eyebrows rose and she looked at Kakashi. Kakashi put a hand on Roka’s shoulder. Roka looked up, startled. “If they do I’m sure you can handle it.” He favored his son with an eye smile. Roka only half-smiled back but his eyes beamed.

Changing the subject Kakashi addressed the group. “So where would we be taking this hypothetical vacation?” Kakashi was sure they’d already planned something and his suppositions were not disappointed.

Sakura and Naruto looked at each other in glee. “The Land of the Moon,” they said together.

Kakashi’s eyebrows made another ascent. Mei jerked back in surprise and recognition but said nothing. Kakashi turned to his wife, “what do you think Mei?”

Mei smiled. “I’ve always wanted to go to The Land of the Moon. I’ve heard it’s beautiful.”

Kakashi grunted noncommittally. The Sixth Hokage eyed his students. He was trapped and they knew it. They smirked at him like mockeries of cherubs. “When do we leave?”

Mei tried to hide her gargantuan grin.

“Tomorrow,” Sakura squealed. She handed Kakashi a rather thick packet. “This is your itinerary.”

Mei’s smile fell. “But Fujita and Hisano start their next round of academy classes tomorrow.”

“It’ll be okay Mom,” Fujita said. “Like Kasumi said, we all already talked about this.”

“Go have a good time,” Hisano added quietly.

Kakashi whispered to his wife, “how did our children become so well adjusted?”

Mei shrugged in response.

“Sakura,” Kakashi asked, afraid of the answer, “what is all this?” He gestured by hefting the itinerary.

“Oh, your tickets, arrival and departure times and anything we,” she indicated Naruto and herself with a nod, “thought you two might be interested in doing since we’ve been there recently.”

At this Sakura glared at her husband until all eyes were on the Uchiha. Sasuke shrugged, “I refused to help.”

“Shocking,” Mei said before she could stop herself. She was irritated by her own lack of control but not entirely repentant that she’d said it.

Sasuke glanced at her but said nothing. Sakura uncomfortably shifted in place.

“Well,” Kakashi said briskly, “we’d better go read these. Kids? Want to help us plan our getaway?”

“We were actually going to meet up with sensei,” Fujita said. Hisano nodded. The two departed out the window.

Roka said, “I’d better go to the missions office and see if there’s anything **in village** ,” he added emphasis when Kasumi opened his mouth, “that I can do that won’t completely suck.” He waved and vanished.

Kasumi fidgeted. “I actually need to go shopping. We haven’t been in the Leaf for almost a year. I’m sure the pantry is wiped.” He left through the door.

Mei sighed, “well I’m feeling very unneeded. Good thing we’re going on vacation.”

Kakashi whispered something in Mei’s ear and she immediately smacked him chidingly in response.

00000

“So what’s on the itinerary?” Mei asked as they walked down the streets of the Leaf Village.

“Well it’s the Land of the Moon so there are casinos, beaches, and a lot of sun,” Kakashi replied as he scanned the activity brochures that Sakura had stuffed into the envelope. “I see that the circus is still in business.”

“I meant what’s the plan,” Mei clarified. “Numbers.”

Kakashi shifted some papers around. “Well we’re taking a cruise ship there apparently,” Kakashi said, reading the schedule. “We’ll arrive at the island at 9 in the morning. Then we’ll be breakfasting with the royal family. After that-”

Mei blanched. “What was that last part?”

“Hm?” Kakashi asked looking up from the list.

“Did you just say ‘breakfasting with the royal family’?” Mei was sure that she’d heard wrong; her ears had to be playing tricks on her again. Kakashi made it a point to enunciate his words very carefully but sometimes she still missed things. 

Kakashi blinked. “Yes,” he replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “King Michiru, Queen Amayo, and Prince Hikaru. After that-”

“Stop Kakashi, stop,” Mei demanded shaking her head and putting her hand out.

Kakashi complied and waited.

“ _Why_ are _we_ breakfasting with the royal family on our vacation? We’re not going as ambassadors. I was actually hoping that we’d keep as low of a profile as possible.” Mei stared at her husband, comprehension dawning. “Oh Kakashi no, not again.”

Kakashi, catching her meaning, remained in silent embarrassment.

Mei put her face in her hands. From between her fingers she said, “who was it this time? Who did you rescue? A princess? Diplomat? Ambassador?”

“The king.”

“The king!” Mei echoed, exasperated.

“And prince,” Kakashi coughed out, looking anywhere but at his wife.

“But not the queen?” Mei asked with tainted amusement.

“No, the queen was not involved. I’m sure they remember Naruto better anyway, he and Hinata have visited them twice already.” Kakashi could see that this explanation was not soothing his wife, the retired leader of a long shunned hidden village, so he shut his mouth. “I really didn’t do much.”

Mei snorted. “How long were you in the hospital that mission?”

Kakashi shifted uncomfortably.

“Kakashi if you didn’t do much then you wouldn’t have had to stay there after the mission was completed. However, based on Naruto and Sakura’s reactions, which make a lot more sense now by the way, they got to spend quite a bit of time in the Land of the Moon while you apparently were unable to enjoy yourself. How long?” Mei was getting more and more agitated but there was no stopping her now. 

“Two weeks,” Kakashi said flatly.

“Didn’t help much indeed,” Mei huffed, crossing her arms.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. “Like I said, they probably won’t even remember me.”

000000

“Kakashi! It’s so nice to see you again!” King Michiru gushed. “And this must be your lovely wife Lady Mei! Naruto told us all about you!”

After a very relaxing cruise the Hatake couple arrived in the Land of the Moon where the king himself greeted them at the docks.

“King Michiru,” Kakashi said. “It is a pleasure to see you again. And may I say you’re looking very fit.”

The king, whose jet black hair was now more silver than black, had indeed lost his excess weight but not his barrel-chested laugh. “All thanks to you and your students Kakashi,” the king lowered his voice, “or should I say Lord Sixth Hokage?” The salt and pepper haired man winked.

“I take it Naruto sent word ahead that we wanted to keep a low profile?” Kakashi said genially.

“He did he did,” the king smiled. “Although I can’t imagine why. It’s not as if you’d be treated the worse for it, quite the opposite in fact.”

Kakashi eye-smiled. “Let’s just say that I want this trip to be more relaxing than the last.”

Michiru laughed again. “Too true, too true. The carriage is this way my dear,” the king said, taking Mei’s hand.

Mei looked back at Kakashi with her eyebrows raised, _he knows that I could kill him right?_

Kakashi gave her a fake scowl in return, _but he trusts that you won’t. Besides, I’m right here._

Mei lifted her eyes skyward for Kakashi to see and then turned her attention back to the king. Kakashi silently chuckled, following the king and his guard to the carriage. Mei was used to formal situations but those didn’t usually coincide with her being treated like a delicate princess who needed to be guided by the hand.

Once they arrived at the king’s castle Mei was introduced to the rest of the royal family: Queen Amayo, who Kakashi was pleased to see had returned to the family after Michiru’s change of heart, and Prince Hikaru, who was now a man in his own right and preparing to take the throne.

As Queen Amayo invited them all to sit down, Prince Hikaru peppered Mei and Kakashi with questions about how they met. After Kakashi told the story about how he had asked Mei out on their first date, with Mei beet red the entire time, Mei decided that some payback was in order.

During the next break in conversation Mei asked, “King Michiru, Prince Hikaru, could you please tell me about how you met Kakashi? He hasn’t been forthcoming about details of his last trip here.” She said the last part smiling at her husband.

Kakashi pretended to be asleep to feign indifference. Mei knew better.

“Oh Kakashi saved our lives, he and his team,” Michiru said laughing. “He had the brilliant plan to use the circus as a smokescreen while they launched a rescue attempt.” The king drank orange juice from his glass. “He pushed himself so hard that he was in the hospital for two weeks!

“His students enjoyed the time off at our resorts but poor Kakashi was stuck in the hospital. In fact, when we all went to visit we found him doing pushups in bed. I’d never seen Sakura look so angry.” The king chuckled at the memory.

Mei glanced over at Kakashi who was still faking sleep but she could spy a slight twitch of his left eyebrow.

After breakfast the Queen called her carriage to take them to the resort. “Michiru, they don’t want to spend their vacation chatting with us. Besides, they must be tired from their journey.”

The king smiled at his wife, “of course my dear, you’re always so sensible.” Michiru turned to his guests, “I don’t know if Sakura told you but we’ve set you up in the royal villa on the beach. I hope that suits you.”

Mei’s eyes grew wide but Kakashi said smoothly, “that would be perfect, thank you for your generosity.”

“It’s our pleasure,” the queen said. She smiled kindly at Mei who shook herself out of the dazed state she’d fallen into and smiled in kind.

00000

The bellhop, though confused that the couple only had a backpack worth of luggage between them, was still happy to show them to their villa. When he opened the door the sight of the inside took Mei’s breath away. She’d stayed at inns before but this was entirely different. This wasn’t a room so much as a stand-alone house, on the beach, with room service. The floor plan was completely open allowing the air and sun to move freely from room to room. The bathroom floors and walls were mosaics made of colorful sea shells making swirling patterns. The furniture looked as if it had been carved out of drift wood. The wooden floors were rubbed smooth by the sand and the linens were all as white as the crest of a wave. They could see curtained glass doors on the far side of the house that led out to a back patio that disappeared into the sand of the beach. The beaming bellhop quietly closed the door behind him on his way out as Mei took it all in, Kakashi grinning at her reaction behind her.

Mei whirled around, face alight. “It’s perfect.”

Kakashi’s smile was hidden by his mask but the way his warm eyes rested on his ecstatic wife said all that needed to be. “And it’s ours for two weeks,” Kakashi set the pack down. “What would you like to do first? There’s snorkeling-”

Mei strode up to her husband and silenced him with a kiss. “No hurry. What actually sounds perfect right now is a nap.”

Kakashi bodily picked Mei up, walked into the bedroom, and eased her into the downy covers that seemed to go on forever.

“Mmm,” Mei said and she leaned into the hundred pillows that covered half of the bed. She couldn’t imagine what they could all be for but at that moment she didn’t care.

Kakashi laid himself down next to her. “Still irritated that I saved another king?” Kakashi teased.

“No,” Mei sighed with her eyes closed. “But I could have gone for more royalty saving missions and less body disposal back in the day.” 

Kakashi hummed contentedly in his chest. Then he said, “Mei?”

She cracked an eye open in answer.

“I love you.” Kakashi nuzzled his face into her hair, breathing in the scent as he relaxed into the covers.

Mei smiled sleepily at him. “I love you too.”

000000

A knock on the door the next day brought both kage awake and out of bed in a flash. Mei pulled a kunai out from somewhere.

“Room service!” A cheerful voice called from the other side of the villa’s front door.

Kakashi motioned for Mei to take cover behind the entryway wall while he moved to answer the door. Mei hurried to the bathroom instead, much to Kakashi’s confusion. She emerged with one of the resort’s robes and tossed it at him.

He caught it and tied it on, sending her a grateful look, before answering the door.

The man started when Kakashi whipped the door open suddenly. “Oh, um, hello,” the man pulled himself together and cleared his throat. “I am here to welcome you to our fine establishment now that you’re settled in. If there’s anything you require, here is a list of our services. We’re only a phone call away.” The man handed Kakashi a folder which he accepted with care.

Kakashi smiled, “thank you. We’ll be sure to do that.”

The man’s mouth fell open a bit but he quickly recovered, bowed, and left. Kakashi frowned at the man’s retreating back as he shut the door.

Mei was smiling at her husband’s confused expression upon his return.

Kakashi cocked his head at her, _what?_

Mei, barely suppressing her grin, reached up and stroked her chin.

Kakashi’s hand flew to his face only to confirm what he’d just realized. He did not have his mask on.

000000

Most of their days were spent walking along the beach. The couple would examine the seashells, stones, and lumber that washed ashore at their leisure.

Kakashi, after making sure that no one was watching, built a rough sand castle using earth style. It was more like a fortress actually and too close to actual scale for comfort. He immediately returned the ground to its original shape. Mei, in response, attempted to use water style to reverse the tide so she didn’t have to move her towel on the beach. They both agreed that that was too conspicuous and just moved the towel.

They stood in the surf, feeling their toes sink deeper and deeper into the sand as the warm waves eroded the grains around and under their feet.

Kakashi, much to Mei’s shock, continued to wear his mask even with his swimwear. “It looks ridiculous,” Mei stated that morning with a giggle.

Kakashi shrugged. “Covering my face never bothered me in the bathhouse and it’s not going to bother me now.”

“The tan line from your mask is going to be horrible,” Mei pointed out.

Kakashi looked at his pale skin and shrugged.

Mei looked her husband over again, “in fact, we’re both probably going to burn.”

“Well, you might.”

Mei raised an eyebrow. “What makes you immune?”

In answer Kakashi, after rummaging in their pack, grasped something and tossed it to her. Mei caught it and saw that she was holding a bottle of sunscreen, SPF 1000. Mei shook her head, disbelief clear on her face. “This can’t be real.”

Kakashi snorted, “it’s as real as the tan I got the first time Guy flashed his teeth at me. He gave me that sun block and it’s worked for everything ever since.”

“I wouldn’t believe you if I hadn’t seen Guy’s smile with my own eyes,” Mei shuddered. “You Leaf ninja and your quirks.”

“At least we don’t file down our teeth to look like sharks,” Kakashi pointed out.

“Well that’s only,” Mei began and then stopped. Her hand went to her mouth as she thought. “Okay yeah, quite a few people do that.”

Kakashi chuckled in triumph but Mei ignored him.

“Anyway let’s try this out,” Mei said gesturing at the sun block and hurrying toward the patio doors on the villa that led to the beach. “Oh, but first,” Mei said stopping herself.

Kakashi watched as his wife found her comb and untangled her hair so it all streamed down her back. It was shorter now than the way she’d kept it when they were younger, only to the small of her back, but it was still quite impressive. Then, with skillful fingers, Mei wove her hair into a long braid down her back.

Kakashi frowned as he fingered the restrained locks. “I like it better when it’s down,” Kakashi almost pouted.

Mei snorted. “Yes but if you think I’m swimming in the ocean with my hair going every which way then I’ve married a fool.”

“I’d help you comb it out,” Kakashi offered as they stepped out onto the deck.

“And you still can when I take it out after our swim,” Mei smiled behind the bangs that did not fit into the braid. She took Kakashi’s hand and dragged him into the shallows.

000000

It wasn’t long before Kakashi learned the joys of reading on the beach. There were some lawn chairs in a shed next to the villa and he wasted no time in acquiring one in which to lay out and read upon.

Across the private, white sanded beach Mei entered the surf for a swim. Kakashi glanced at her rear as she stepped into the waves and dove in. He smiled and returned to his book.

The Hokage’s usual paranoia didn’t leave him even on vacation. He continued his ritual of checking on where Mei was before returning to his read every few minutes.

At one point when he glanced up Mei was nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t worried, she could be diving or was so far out that a wave was hiding her. He returned to his book, looking up more frequently to catch her next surface. With each unsuccessful glance he looked back at his book for smaller and smaller periods of time. After only looking back at the page long enough to read one word Kakashi lowered his book and scanned the ocean in front of him.

He didn’t want to overreact. After Mei had been kidnapped she’d practically had to beat it into him to not overreact if she was out of his sight for more than a few seconds. Still, this made him uneasy.

After several more seconds of scanning the water in front of him Kakashi took off across the beach and onto the surf. Then, remembering himself, he let his feet sink beneath the surface until they hit sand. He looked to the left and right as he ran. They were on a private beach but so were the villas that flanked them. There were still people within sight who’d certainly notice a man running on top of the ocean.

He dove under the first wave that impeded his progress and swam hard. _Where is she?_ The salt water wove through his hair making it dance above his head like flames. The salt stung his eyes but he forced them to remain open.

Kakashi surfaced for a breath and got half of a lung full of water. Air had joined the water however and so he dove again, ignoring his burning lungs. He continued to paddle beneath the waves heading out to where he’d last seen his wife. In a space of time that seemed, to him, to be an eternity he spotted her surfacing a few strokes away. They surfaced together and Mei was startled to see him.

“Kakashi what-” then she stopped because Kakashi was coughing and floundering next to her. “Idiot,” Mei growled out. She yanked Kakashi’s mask down to his neck as he continued to choke. Mei reached out and grabbed him before he could sink and helped him float while he, now unimpeded, coughed up the water he’d inhaled.

With a one-armed stroke and a strong kick, Mei towed her rescuer to the beach. Kakashi continued to cough but was able to take deep breaths by the time they reached the shore. Mei hauled him up onto the dry sand and Kakashi lay where she laid him like a piece of driftwood. 

“What were you thinking swimming with your mask on,” Mei demanded crossly. “Of all the idiotic- You could have drowned. I’m surprised you got that far. What were you doing?”

Kakashi remained silent with his eyes closed. He had a sliver of hope that Mei might think he’d passed out. Frankly he’d rather be unconscious than explain to his wife that he’d been attempting to rescue her.

The sun shining through his eyelids was suddenly blocked and Kakashi opened his eyes to see Mei bent over him. “I’m fine,” Kakashi said but was interrupted by another round of coughs.

Mei’s eyebrows evened and her eyes softened. “That’s not what I asked,” she said softly reprimanding him. She realized how horrible that sounded even as the words left her lips.

Kakashi finished with his coughing and attempted to look anywhere but at his wife’s face. “I um- I didn’t see you. I thought you might be drowning.”

Mei’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Then she began to chuckle and the chuckle grew into a full laugh. Mei covered her face with her hand and then attempted to wipe the smile from her face. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t laugh. It’s not funny you could have been hurt.” Despite these words Mei spent the next minute attempting to muffle her giggles.

“No it’s not funny,” Kakashi said from his couch in the sand, irritation ringing his voice.

“I’m sorry I’m sorry,” Mei said stifling the last of her snorts. “It’s just you thought you had to rescue the Land of Water native from drowning. It’s a little funny.”

“I’ll fail to see the humor for a long time yet,” Kakashi said flatly, fatigue making him irritable.

“Really though, are you okay?” Mei asked seriously. Kakashi held out a hand and she helped him to his feet.

“Fine, I think I’m going to go lie down though,” he replied, brushing the sand off of his back.

Mei nodded. She leaned in and felt his temperature with her forehead. “We’d better get you warm, just in case. Really that was a foolish thing to do.”

“I forgot,” Kakashi replied honestly, scratching the back of his head with a lazy hand.

“Well don’t forget again,” Mei scolded.

Kakashi sighed, “yes ma’am.” 

000000

The sun continued to shine throughout the Hatake’s vacation. One day Mei suggested they go to one of the public beaches. She had snorkeled through their entire area and was looking for fresh ground to cover.

“It’ll be crowded,” Kakashi argued even as they packed a bag for the quick walk.

“Yes but it’ll be nice to see others vacationing too. Little families building sand sculptures and having picnics,” Mei said smiling. “I bet there’s a volleyball net. Want to beat some young fools at doubles? They’ll probably try to go easy on us because we’re old!”

“I don’t think that would be a good idea. It would be hard to resist the urge to show off and that wouldn’t coincide with our low profile plan would it?” Kakashi pointed out as they started down the path.

Mei sighed. “Fine, but I would have loved to teach them a thing or two about assumptions.”

After arriving at what Kakashi had correctly predicted to be a crowded beach, Mei went out to snorkel while Kakashi procured a lawn chair. Having settled on a relatively private spot, meaning that the towels and chairs of strangers were an entire foot away from his, Kakashi settled down to read a familiar orange book.

The sun made its lazy trek through the sky as noon came and went. Kakashi occasionally checked on Mei over the top of his novel and, seeing her familiar figure swimming along at the surface, contentedly went back to his book.

Suddenly there was a call of, “look out,” as a volleyball sailed toward Kakashi. Before it made contact with his head however, he punched it back toward its astonished owners with a lazy fist. The kage hadn’t even looked up from his page.

A minute later a shade was thrown over him and Kakashi looked up to see what was blocking the sun. It turned out to be a she: a slight but shapely blonde teen in a red bikini. She held the offending volleyball on her infirm hip and she was gazing at the Hokage.

Kakashi raised one eyebrow a fraction in silent inquiry. _What could she want?_ He turned his eyes back to his book.

“Hey there,” the girl said smiling, as if Kakashi hadn’t noticed her.

“Yo,” Kakashi responded, not looking up.

The girl persisted. She shifted the volleyball to her other hip. “What are you doing here by yourself? On vacation?” 

Kakashi blinked. He looked up again. The girl was bending forward, trying to read the title of his book, or pretending to. _You have got to be kidding me._ Then Kakashi saw something that made him both gleeful and anxious. Mei was marching toward him, snorkel and mask clasped in an iron grip. _Well at the very least I’m about to be rescued…I think._

Kakashi snapped his book closed and gave Mei his full attention as she entered the scene. The girl had only half turned to see what he was looking at before Mei was on top of them. “Goodbye,” Mei addressed the girl with a smile and cheerful voice so fake that Sai would have been able to spot it.

The blonde recoiled immediately as if burned. The venom in Mei’s eyes was unmistakable. Prospects ruined, the girl moved off, giving Kakashi one last flirtatious wave. He responded with a bored stare.

“Ready to go honey?” Mei asked, her voice still a little too cheerful.

“More than,” Kakashi replied, standing and stretching his muscles. “Did you enjoy the change of scenery?”

“Not as much as I thought,” Mei replied, glancing at the teens playing volleyball down the beach.

Kakashi snaked an arm around Mei’s waist and pulled her to him. “Then we should leave. Neither of us have eaten since this morning and I am famished.”

“The sun will do that,” Mei commented idly. She was staring at her feet as she pulled away from him, heading back to the path.

They continued down the path that led either to the villas or the restaurants. At the fork in the road Mei was still contemplating the ground so Kakashi chose the villa fork without pausing. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it, waiting.

“Kakashi?”

“Hm?” Kakashi responded, pretending that he hadn’t been waiting for her to speak.

“Am I old?”

“We’re the same age Mei,” Kakashi responded instantly. “If you are, I am.”

Mei remained quiet for a time. Then she said, “I just never thought I’d make it this far and now that I’m here-” Mei crossed her arms and she became silent.

“And I thought I would? I survived two wars that took men far better than me to an early grave.” Kakashi became silent himself. They continued to walk.

Mei picked the conversation up. “Sometimes I wish that we could have done these sorts of things when we were younger. In my prime I was-”

“Just as stunning as you are now,” Kakashi finished. His kind eyes turned roguish. “Don’t make me prove it to you.”

Mei smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. Kakashi wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. Mei shook her head, “that girl…”

Kakashi barked out a laugh. He filled in, “was a fool. I’m old enough to be her father.” _Or grandfather_ , Kakashi thought and silently cringed. “Reminds me of the company Jiraiya used to keep.”

Mei snorted. “Not the most becoming of vices but we all have our own.”

Kakashi nodded.

Mei looked up and around, confused. “I thought we were going out to eat.”

Kakashi shrugged and they went back to walking side by side. “We were but I thought we’d get room service tonight. Wouldn’t want to run into my new girlfriend.” Kakashi ducked his head and could feel the wind of the missed slap pass over.

000000

“So how was it?” Naruto asked when Kakashi and Mei returned.

The couple looked at each other over the shoulders of their children. It had been a Hatake dog pile.

Kakashi looked away from his smiling wife and at Naruto, “it was paradise. But it’s good to be back.” 


	19. Story Time

The Hatake residence stood alone in the cool night air, silhouetted by the moon’s rays. The windows were beacons of light and warmth in the otherwise uninhabited area. Kakashi smiled contentedly under his mask at the sight. He was almost home. It had been a long day, a long week really, and he couldn’t wait to be home. Still, there were traps to disengage as he approached the dwelling. It was harder to work in the dark but his fingers flew through the familiar signs as he disarmed and rearmed each layer of defense.

After going through the traps, tripwires, and host of other things that he’d put around the property over the years, the simple key that Yamato had given him seemed a little pointless. Still, he put it in the wooden lock and opened the door. Warmth of practically every kind greeted him. Three of his four children looked up simultaneously, their faces first confused and then brightening.

“Daddy!” the twins squealed together as they raced for him.

Kakashi heard Roka call over his shoulder, “Mom, Dad’s home,” before joining his sisters at their father’s side. Kasumi came bounding down the stairs and almost threw the whole group off balance when he launched into the mass.

“Did you bring us anything?” Fujita asked, eyes bright.

Kakashi fake-pouted, “am I not enough?”

The little girl’s eyes got wide, legitimately thinking she may have hurt her father’s feelings. She looked up at him, mouth hanging open. However, Kakashi relented and she quickly caught sight of the laughter in his eyes. She giggled, hugging his leg.

“Not this time,” Kakashi answered seriously with a smile, ruffling her hair.

Then Mei was coming out of the kitchen, putting her arms around the entire group. Kakashi breathed in the scent of their home and sighed. He drank in the sounds of their voices and laughter.

“I was just about to put them to bed,” Mei said as she pulled away. She left off a comment about his untimely arrival.

Kakashi tiredly eye-smiled at his pouting children. “You heard your mother,” he said, carefully keeping his voice cheerful. The boys nodded and headed upstairs. The girls hung onto their father’s hands as the rest of the group followed.

Mei and Kakashi put their daughters to bed while the boys changed. The twin beds faced the door to the room. Mei knelt down by Fujita’s bedside while Kakashi was by Hisano. Their bright green eyes shone with excitement.

“Daddy, tell us a story,” Hisano asked shyly.

Fujita perked up. “Oh please Daddy? Could you?”

Mei looked over at her husband. He was still wearing his cloak, his hair was tussled from the trip home, and the bags under his eyes were darker than usual. Mei opened her mouth to excuse him from story time duty tonight. He’d just returned from a long diplomatic mission in which Naruto had requested his company. _How hard had he pushed himself to get home early?_

Kakashi waved Mei’s protestations off with a tired smile. “I could,” Kakashi replied with a smile in his voice. He turned to Mei. “Say goodnight to the boys for me? Tell them we’ll practice with the summons tomorrow.” Kakashi requested. Mei smiled and nodded, giving first Fujita and then Hisano a kiss each.

The girls hopped out of their beds and beat their father to the big armchair in the corner, where bedtime stories were often told. Mei sighed, it had seemed like just a little while ago she’d been sitting in that chair to nurse them or rock them to sleep. Now she laughed as both daughters barely fit on their father’s lap at the same moment. They managed however and Mei left the room hearing the usual beginning of Kakashi’s tales:

“Not too long ago there was a team of three young genin. A shinobi with yellow hair the color of the sun, a kunoichi with hair that was pink like the sky at sunset, and another shinobi whose hair was dark as night.”

Kakashi hardly ever called his team seven members by name but it didn’t take his children long to put together who the “cute little genin” were.

Mei, not having suspected her husband was in any way poetic, balked at this description the first time Kakashi had used it. When she’d asked him about it later, Kakashi had just smiled and said, “well, if Naruto and Sasuke are opposites, then Sakura is the bridge that joins them. Sunset connects the day with the night.” He’d shrugged. He said it as simple as that, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Besides,” he went on, “it sounds more like a story when I say it that way.” Mei’s mouth had hung open in shock.

Mei left the door to her daughters’ room slightly ajar and moved on to their sons’ rooms.

Several minutes later when Mei was closing Roka’s door after already having bid Kasumi goodnight, she saw Fujita and Hisano standing in the hallway waiting for her. They fidgeted in their nightgowns. Mei blinked in surprise. Kakashi usually had them entranced until they went to sleep; then they’d carry them to bed. Where was he? A spark of fear traced her spine but she pushed it away. Her daughters didn’t look frightened.

“Mommy could you tuck us in now?” Fujita asked.

Mei’s confusion increased but she responded, “of course my darlings.” The girls turned and led the way back to their room. Mei shepherded them from behind, bewildered. Her bafflement remained until she entered the room and looked to the familiar plush chair. There lay her husband, the Sixth Hokage, in the chair where she’d left him.

Kakashi’s head was tilted back against the headrest and his arms and legs were limp. Breath came and went slowly and evenly from his exhausted frame. Sleep had very thoroughly overtaken him. 

Mei’s heart clenched a bit with anxiety. She gave a slight cough but Kakashi didn’t stir at the noise. The mother, knowing her daughters’ eyes were on her, dutifully turned to their expectant faces and smiled. She tucked them into their beds in turn. Said daughters kept glancing over at their father who hadn’t moved.

Hisano whispered, “is Daddy alright?”

Mei smiled and kissed her daughter’s forehead. “Yes, Daddy’s fine. But I’m going to have to tuck him in after you.”

Fujita’s face scrunched together. “Do pa- par-, do you and Daddy need tucking in too? Sometimes?” The question was quickly followed up by a yawn. 

Mei moved over to Fujita’s bed. “Everyone needs some extra care now and again,” Mei kissed her other daughter. “So yes, parents,” she carefully annunciated the word that Fujita had tried saying before, “need to be tucked in sometimes too.” Fujita wiggled in bed contentedly, eyelids drooping.

Mei turned out the lamp and approached her husband. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the dark room as she stepped up in front of him. Mei reached out a hand and touched his shoulder, increasing the pressure until she got a reaction.

Kakashi’s eyelids fluttered and then his head popped up off of the headrest as if it were spring-loaded. He looked around on reflex but his eyes were blurry. He blinked several times, confused at the environment.

“I’m sorry,” Kakashi spit out immediately, rubbing his eyes. He looked around again and sighed. “I um, I fell asleep during story time didn’t I?” He sheepishly remembered pausing in the story, just for a second, to get his thoughts together.

He stifled a yawn, taking in the dark room and the forms of his sleeping daughters. He lowered his voice, “were they upset?”

“They’re fine,” Mei assured him, standing back so he could rise. “But you’re not. You need sleep more than they do.” After chiding him, she took his hand and led him out of the room. His movements were sluggish and slow. Kakashi glanced back at the girls once more before closing the door behind them.

“Now,” Mei began as they walked down the hall. Kakashi looked in at his sleeping sons when they reached their doors in turn. “I thought you weren’t supposed to be back until tomorrow?”

Kakashi scratched the back of his head. “I wasn’t but I figured if I hurried I could make it home tonight.”

Mei frowned, “but what if something had happened on the road? You could have gotten hurt sprinting in the dark.”

Kakashi held up a finger in challenge. “I am not so tired as to be unaware of things.” Mei watched him carefully stifle a yawn so she wouldn’t see it, as if she wouldn’t notice, before continuing. “If something had happened I would have been fine.”

Mei raised an eyebrow, “I’m sure you’re perfectly aware, then, that you’re wearing your sandals in the house.”

Kakashi looked down at his attire, he still had his traveling cloak on as well. The ninja tried to unobtrusively slip off his footwear. “Your point?”

Mei fought very hard to keep her eyes from rolling. She unclipped Kakashi’s cloak and slung it over her shoulder, grasping his arm and steering him toward their room. “Come on, let’s get you to bed too. We’ll talk about this more tomorrow.”

Kakashi tried to shrug her off, but not very hard. The truth was that he was exhausted and a small part of him knew that Mei was right. He _had_ pushed himself too hard. 

Mei released his arm and put both of hers around his torso. “I’m still glad you’re home though. We all missed you.”

Kakashi smiled tiredly and kissed Mei’s hair. “I missed you too.”


	20. The Inopportune Question

In an apartment complex in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the Seventh Hokage stood in a hallway pounding on a door. The door, and the unit it led to, belonged to Hatake Kakashi. Said ninja had maintained the residence despite having another apartment in Hokage Tower. Naruto said it was because his old sensei was too lazy to move the rest of his things into the new apartment. Tsunade reminded the hyperactive blond that one day he may find it nice to have a residence of his own that was away from his workplace. 

“Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto bellowed. “Open up we need to ask you something!” No sooner were these words shouted that the blond began his knocking anew.

“Naruto,” his dark companion said over the noise. “The man has sensitive hearing, no need to let the whole complex know we’re here. I’m sure if he’s in there he heard you.”

“Then why doesn’t he answer?” Naruto asked, the onslaught on the door momentarily forgotten. “He would have said something if he’d planned on leaving the village.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes, “I don’t know, maybe he-”

Just then the door cracked open revealing the head and part of the shoulder of the last Hatake. He wore only his black undershirt, leaving his arms bare. His headband was off and his hair looked more tasseled than usual, as if they’d roused him from sleep. Or…

Sasuke’s eyes widened slightly and then narrowed suspiciously. Naruto, oblivious to this, brightened when the door opened.

Kakashi stared out at them through the small gap with an exasperated expression on his face. His breathing was carefully controlled. “What is it Naruto?”

“Hey sensei. Why’d it take you so long to answer? We-” Naruto paused because Sasuke had kicked him in the shin. Naruto turned and looked at his friend but dismissed the warning glance the brunette was attempting to give him; so many of Sasuke’s expressions looked exactly alike.

Kakashi stared at his grown students. He deadpanned, “is that what you came to ask me?” There was no humor in his eyes.

“Ah, no, we were going to ask-” Naruto stopped again and turned to glare at Sasuke. “What was that for?” He’d received yet another kick to the shin, harder this time. It wouldn’t even have a chance to bruise but it was still irritating.

“Naruto,” Sasuke said firmly. “I think we’d better go. You can ask Kakashi about this tomorrow, or the next day maybe.” 

Naruto frowned, turning his whole body so that he was facing his friend. He crossed his arms in front of him. “I thought we’d agreed that it was best to finish this tonight? It was your idea!”

Sasuke gritted his teeth in frustration, the blond was missing the point. “I _know_ that but I don’t think it’s a good time.” Over Naruto’s shoulder, Sasuke was watching a tick develop in their sensei’s eyebrow. It was becoming rather disconcerting. “We should go, _now_.”

The emphasis made Naruto frown. There was something he was missing, he just couldn’t figure it out. He opened his mouth to ask when a new voice rang out from within in the apartment.

“Naruto, you’d better get out of here or I will personally throw you out!” The silence after this screamed statement echoed out the door and down the passage.

Naruto whirled around at the sound of the familiar voice, his eyes the size of saucers. Kakashi carefully wiped his face clean of expression. He stared at the pair with blank eyes as a blush developed on Naruto’s cheeks. He glanced at Kakashi’s appearance again with new understanding. Sasuke mentally face-palmed.

When the orange Hokage spoke again his voice was unusually high and quiet, “sorry sensei.”

Said sensei didn’t acknowledge this, he just kept staring at them, waiting for them to leave. Sasuke grasped Naruto’s coat sleeve and began pulling him in the right direction. Killing intent began leaking into the hallway and the men retreated from the unfriendly chakra that was radiating from within the apartment. The blond stumbled but caught himself and began to walk, rather quickly, toward the exit. Sasuke was right at his side.

“We never speak of this,” Sasuke muttered to his companion as they made their hasty departure.

Naruto nodded. “Yeah.”

Behind them they heard an apartment door close more forcefully than was entirely necessary. Both men breathed a sigh of relief as they reached the relative safety of the stairs.

Naruto asked, voice still a little shaky, “did you know Mei was in town?”

“No.”

**Author’s Note: I wrote a version from Mei’s point of view for my own reference. I’ll include it here if anyone is interested in reading it.**

A pounding sounded on the door followed by a shouted summons. Kakashi sighed and hung his head. He slowly withdrew his fingers teasingly from Mei’s bare skin. The action drew forth goose bumps and a high sound from the kunoichi’s throat. It, however, was **not** a whine. Mizukages do **not** whine.

“Ignore them,” Mei pleaded in a whisper. Kakashi was already standing up, flicking his untidy hair out of his eyes.

“Can’t,” he replied, snatching a sleeveless shirt from a chair and pulling it over his head. “It’s Naruto, he’ll bust down the door.”

Mei dropped her face onto the couch, grumbling into the cushions. “Just get rid of him,” her muffled voice said.

Kakashi threw her a smile before pulling up his mask. The knocking continued as the Sixth Hokage crossed his apartment.

The retired sensei opened the door and confronted his students. Mei looked up and blew her thick hair out of her eyes. She could at least enjoy the view from her side of things.

What followed was a conversation that was more of the boys talking and less of them leaving than Mei would have liked. By the third exchange Mei was drumming her fingers on the cushions. Her patience at an end, she openly threatened the sitting Hokage, which didn’t bother the diplomatist as much as it probably should have. To hammer the point home, she leaked a little malevolent chakra to show them exactly what she thought about their continued presence.

Moments later Kakashi closed the door and returned, giving her a mischievous look. “Was that necessary?”

“Letting the entire village know that I’m here and, in particular, relaxing unsupervised in your apartment? Probably not.”

“You’re not _completely_ unsupervised,” Kakashi protested, sitting down by her side.

Mei snorted, “I don’t think you count as an appropriate chaperone.” She reached out and pulled him to her, fingers slipping his mask down.

“If you say so,” the Hatake replied, his lips tracing her collarbone and then working up her neck.


	21. The Cave

“Where exactly are we going?” Kakashi asked as they walked through the bright meadow. They were on the main island of the Land of Water a few miles outside of the Hidden Mist Village.

Mei just smiled shyly at him. “You took me to one of your natural wonders. Now I want to take you to one of ours.”

“The Hokage Mountain is hardly natural,” Kakashi muttered.

Mei scoffed at him as she walked through the tall grass. “It’s only natural to show yourself off? Well I’m sure the mountain itself is naturally occurring anyway.”

Kakashi was puzzling over what Mei possibly _thought_ she heard him say when she cried out, “there are the rocks, not far now!” She was pointing at a mound of boulders that appeared to slowly grow larger as they approached. Their path gradually sloped downhill into the valley in which the boulders rested.

“You’re taking me to see some rocks?” Kakashi was playfully unimpressed.

“And what makes you think that Fire rocks are more interesting than Water rocks?” Mei called defiantly back at him. She began to climb the mound.

“But my rocks were a mountain, your rocks are-” Kakashi froze when he crested the last boulder between himself and where Mei stood. A chill ran through him as if a cold breeze had swept through the valley. Before them was a dip in the rock formation and a gently declining path into a large hole. His keen senses could hear the low thrum of air whispering through the depths of the cavern.

“A cave!” Mei announced excitedly.

Kakashi slowly swallowed, his mouth dry. He thought of Obito, rocks falling, his team running…

Mei turned to see Kakashi standing as stiff as a board, staring into the darkness as if it were going to reach out and grab him. She said his name twice before he responded. “Kakashi are you alright? You aren’t claustrophobic are you?” Mei teased.

Kakashi swallowed again and replied, “not exactly.”

Mei’s sunny disposition began to cloud over. She frowned at the cave; what had she missed?

Kakashi caught her look. “It’s fine Mei; I’m fine. Let’s go.” He inserted some cheer into his voice.

Kakashi began to hesitantly walk toward the enclosing space. Mei followed slowly, “we really don’t have to. We could-” Mei couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was that they could otherwise do. The Land of Water wasn’t exactly a tourist destination. The “sights” were few and far between. Anything that came to mind would have required planning and extra travel.

Kakashi turned back and looked at her, holding out a hand to help her down. “Really, it’s nothing. Let’s go caving.”

Mei ignored his hand and jumped down the ledge unassisted. After unsealing a lantern from a scroll, she hadn’t wanted to spoil the surprise, she lit it and took the lead. “Now you need to be careful these first few steps. The path has been worn smooth over the years. We always used to dare each other to go in as kids.” Mei attempted to sound bright but she couldn’t help but observe Kakashi’s discomfort as they stepped through the portal into the earth.

Mei continued to fill the awkward silence. “Nobody ever beat my record for distance made into the cave. A few tried to say that they did but I found their marks on my way to my old records. We’d carve a mark into the stone with our kunai.

“As we got older we’d all go exploring together.” 

As they walked deeper into the fissure, the temperature dropped significantly. Mei noticed Kakashi’s discomfort and then laughed at herself. “Almost forgot,” Mei chuckled. She pulled out a different scroll and unsealed two cloaks. She handed one to Kakashi and donned her own. Kakashi threw his over himself, clasping it absentmindedly. He didn’t appear to realize that he was the reason for Mei’s sudden reveal of the cloaks. His eyes were on the walls and ceiling.

“It won’t cave in,” Mei said misinterpreting his concern. “This cave handles the runoff from the riverbed during the spring rains every year. Any loose dirt was washed away years ago. It’s all stone now.” 

“Even stone can be eroded away by water,” Kakashi muttered absently.

“Well even if it does,” Mei said. “We have earth jutsu for that.” She felt uneasy. She’d never seen him like this before.

Kakashi grunted in reply. When Mei tried to get more of a response out of him, Kakashi came to himself and encouraged his date to lead on. Puzzled, Mei did as she was asked, tentatively smiling.

After several twists and turns through tunnels with larger and smaller holes leading off into who knew where, Kakashi asked, “you know where you’re going?”

“Of course,” Mei said brightly. “That’d be like asking if you could get lost in the forests around the Leaf.”

The path started heading uphill and Kakashi broke the silence again, “are we heading out? This isn’t the way we came in.”

“There are two entrances that I know of,” Mei said. “There’s also the underground one of course but we’d never be able to hold our breath long enough to get to the ocean.” Mei continued, “no, we’re heading someplace special.”

As the trail took them higher Kakashi began to notice stalagmites and stalactites all around them. Above his head Mei’s lantern showed that the ceiling glittered like jewels. The minerals seeping down through the earth made strange formations on the ceiling such as boxes and cones.

Despite himself, Kakashi found the mineral deposits fascinating. “How do they have time to grow like that if this tunnel floods every year?”

“I said the cave drains the valley every year but this tunnel is no longer a part of the main branch and hasn’t flooded in ages.” With that, Mei stopped and withdrew a third scroll.

“What could this be now?” Kakashi asked. He was a little more relaxed now that there was something new to focus on. 

Mei, happy to see his good humor returning, unsealed a blanket and boxes full of food for lunch. She quickly spread the blanket on the ground and invited Kakashi to sit.

“A picnic? I thought I was the copy ninja.” 

Mei smirked, “just pipe down and eat.”

Mei seated herself and began unwrapping a roll. Kakashi grabbed a similar looking package from the basket but stopped. He glanced up at Mei and withdrew the bundle slowly, contemplative. Mei glimpsed his look and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Her scowl deepened as she looked at her own roll.

“It’s nothing,” Kakashi insisted. He unwrapped his own roll slowly.

Mei watched him but he didn’t take a bite. Feeling a sinking in her gut, she looked down at her own roll and took another bite. She wasn’t that hungry anymore but simply ate on reflex.

She sighed and glanced back up at him. A huge bite of his roll was gone and the man across from her was working his jaw contentedly, eyes closed. She blinked in confusion at him. He opened his eyes to see her, confused at her silence, and his eyes crinkled with a smile. “This is really good Mei,” he said once he’d swallowed. However, even as Mei thanked him for the complement he did not take another bite.

Her face darkened once again. “What’s wrong?” Mei asked defensively.

Kakashi blinked at her. Then he stared guiltily at the floor, “I um-”

“Because if it’s me-”

“No,” Kakashi said quickly. “It’s just I don’t usually eat in front of people.”

Mei squinted at him in confusion, then her eyes settled on his mask. She chuckled, drawing her companion’s attention. “You take that thing really seriously don’t you?” She indicated his mask with a nod of her head. Her mirth decreased when Kakashi leveled a long stare at her. The silence of the cave pressed in on them. “I’m sorry,” Mei spat out. She inwardly chastised herself.

Kakashi shrugged, scratching his masked cheek nervously. “At this point, the entire Leaf Village wants to see my face, especially my students, and it’s kind of amusing to watch them try. I guess I just got into the habit of guarding myself while I eat. You must have noticed the other times we’ve eaten together.”

Mei nodded. “Well none of them are here now”. Then she pulled herself up short at the oddity of the statement. She smiled nervously and without thinking asked, “why do you wear it then?” She immediately mentally face-palmed at her own insensitivity. Despite this, her date answered. 

Kakashi looked down at his roll. He continued the conversation as if speaking to the pastry. “Part of it is that every time I look in the mirror I see my father. People say we look alike even with my mask on.” He paused, searching for words.

Mei waited patiently. She had to confess to herself that she too had been curious about the hidden part of his face. However, her curiosity didn’t hold a candle to how some of their fellow kage felt, not to mention the everyday Fire citizen. A small part of her had wanted to eat in such a secluded place to see if he’d feel more comfortable eating with just her.

“Another part,” he continued, “is that when people see my face they act differently. It’s kind of awkward.” He scratched at his mask again. “It helps hide my expression from opponents, there are a lot of reasons.” He finished in a rush, as if embarrassed for babbling on. 

Mei, however, was fascinated. This was the most he had shared all at once…ever. She smiled encouragingly but he had said his piece. She continued to watch him therefore he continued to not eat. As the silence went on Mei chewed something over in her head. Finally she said, “I can keep my eyes down the whole meal if you want.”

Kakashi looked up slowly, “really?”

Mei nodded, only a little disappointed. If he wasn’t ready then she was fine with that. “It’s not a big deal. I mean I am interested to see your face but it’s hardly my life’s ambition.”

The couple looked into each other’s eyes and each felt a small glow bloom inside of them. “Thank you,” Kakashi said softly.

Mei smiled in return and then kept her eyes steadfastly on her food. Deprived of seeing her date, Mei focused on her other senses. The cave smelled of cool rock along with various minerals. She breathed it in through her nose and closed her eyes, remembering her schoolfellows and the hijinks they used to get up to among the caves. A pang shot through her and she stopped that train of thought in its tracks.

She focused on sound instead. Kakashi was leisurely eating his meal across from her. There was the constant drip of water throughout the cave system. The sound of the water echoed and mixed with the sound of the lowing wind that moved through the various holes and bends among the tunnels.

Then she heard Kakashi take a deep breath and say, “Mei?”

On impulse she almost looked up in response to hearing her name. She resisted the urge. Instead she kept her head down and said, “yes?”

“You can look, if you want.”

Mei felt that her heart had stilled and began fluttering at the same time. _Had he just? No, he couldn’t possibly mean-_ She looked up and her breath caught in her throat. For the first time ever, they looked at each other and she could see his whole face in the flickering lantern light. She had thought it would be strange, seeing his entire face, almost as if the lower half didn’t belong somehow. But it wasn’t anything like that. It was whole and everything fit together perfectly.

He smiled at her, it was a small smile and kind, like a secret between them. The familiar crinkle of his eyes now had the turning up of his lips to match. Mei felt herself blush fiercely. She looked away. _Pull yourself together,_ she strictly ordered herself.

He was so very handsome it was almost absurd. Mei felt unreasonable laughter bubbling up inside of her but she forced the giggles down. She had always thought he was good looking, even with the scar bisecting his eye, but this was something else. This was something else entirely.

Hoping that the color in her cheeks was under control, Mei looked back up and met her date’s eyes. Kakashi nodded in appreciation and they continued with their meal in amiable silence. The mask remained bunched down at his throat so she observed him at her leisure.

The more Mei looked, however, the more she realized that she knew already. His face, once you’d seen it, wasn’t that much of a mystery at all. The mask was skin tight so the outlines of his jaw and his lips were nothing new. There was no explanation for what made him so appealing overall. He just was and Mei blushed again in embarrassment. She was soon also focused on her lunch.

After they’d finished eating, Kakashi pulled the mask back into its place. Mei regretted it. In a way he was hiding himself away from the world and she wished he wouldn’t. Wished that he didn’t think he had to. “Why do you keep wearing it?” Mei asked carefully. She’d worked the question over in her mind the entire time they’d eaten. “If you didn’t wear it all the time then people would eventually stop making a fuss over it.” She began packing their lunch away while waiting for an answer.

Kakashi looked down the cave tunnel, out of the ring of light that Mei’s lantern cast. Then he shrugged and said, “at this point it’s a habit. Wouldn’t want the bounty hunters to be confused when they find me.” When his eyes crinkled into a smile she could imagine his mouth turning up at the corners. “Besides, after all this time, my students and everyone else may be disappointed with just-” he gestured at his face.

“I think it’s a lovely face,” Mei said without thinking. She flinched at the bluntness of her own statement and became silent.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head and shrugged in response, ignoring the compliment. They began to walk down the tunnel.

“So, would you like a tour?” Mei asked after a time. “I can show you all of the old haunts.”

Kakashi looked at the hanging stone above them warily. “Sure,” he said slowly, his mind somewhere else again.

Mei smiled but wondered at his hesitation. She had been feeling much better after lunch, buoyant even, but as soon as the food was packed away it was like Kakashi was hiding himself from her again. It was more than just the mask, there was something else. She held the lantern high before her and led the way.

Mei told stories as they walked through the cave system. They ranged from silly stories about her classmates to Wave Country folk tales. Each time they reached a gorge Mei would make recommendations about which way to go. “If we walk up the wall here then we can connect to another tunnel that leads to ‘the crystal room’ or we can hop across and go to ‘the endless echoes chamber’.” She always allowed Kakashi to choose since he was relatively quiet during most of the trek. He let her go on about the time that she and her friends did this or that. For example, one day they had been drinking tea during a school break. One of them had said something funny and Mei spat her tea all over the girl sitting across from her.

“Does it bother you to talk about your classmates?” Kakashi asked suddenly, breaking his ponderous silence. He was looking at the ceiling again. Mei whirled around to face him, her face pale in the lantern light.

His question had cut straight to her heart, and not in a good way. Mei’s mood shifted, all of the bubbling joy she’d felt earlier dissipated. “What do you mean by that?” Mei asked, guarded.

Kakashi tore his eyes away from the roof of the segment they were in and looked at her. “You talk about your classmates a lot,” he attempted to clarify. “Does it hurt to talk about them?”

Mei bristled, anger welled up inside of her. “What, because I killed them?!”

Kakashi blinked at her, then his eyebrows drew together. His voice was a steely calm, “no, that’s not what I-”

“Because I’ll have you know Kakashi that I think of them every day! And what am I supposed to do, forget them? Sit at their memorials and cry? No, they were alive and they were people and I will talk about the lives they had before-” She stopped, she was breathing hard. Turning away from him she faced the wall, holding the lantern in front of her, leaving Kakashi in darkness. The temperature dropped several degrees.

This time it was Kakashi’s turn to have his hackles raised. The memorial comment had stung. He swallowed the rage down, there was no way she knew how much time he spent at the memorial was there? He tried, “Mei, I was only asking-”

She whirled to face him. The lantern cast a stern glow on her angry features. “You were wondering why the murderess talks about her victims all the time!?” Mei yelled. Her voice echoed off of the walls down the corridor.

“You’re not the only one who’s killed a friend Mei,” Kakashi protested, his voice rising. “And I wasn’t-”

“‘ **A** friend’, ‘ **a** friend’?” Mei shouted. “I killed dozens of friends! And you compare a single teammate to killing an entire class, practically every person I knew?!”

Something flashed in Kakashi’s eyes and if she hadn’t been so worked up, Mei would have been afraid. She barely heard his low voice, much less the words, as it ground out, “don’t you _ever_ marginalize Rin’s death.” 

Mei was about to ask what he’d said but shut her mouth. She was hardly going to show weakness now, not when she was so infuriated. Instead she glanced around, remembering where they were, and said, “good luck finding your own way out. You can keep the cloak.” She smiled vindictively and vanished. The cave was plunged into darkness.

Hatake Kakashi was not the kind of person who struck out and hit things when he was upset. Despite this the urge to punch the cave wall, not unlike his predecessor, welled within him. He put that thought out of his mind. There was a logical section of his brain that was already working out how to escape from a deep cave, in the dark, without using up all of his chakra. However, the emotional fallout of what had just taken place was still weighing heavily upon him. He sat where he stood and worked on controlling his breathing.

Unbeknownst to the last Hatake, Mei was doing much the same thing. With practiced ease it had taken her mere moments to exit the cave system. Upon reaching fresh air Mei had fallen to her knees. She put her arms around herself as she suppressed a shiver, the cloak offering little comfort.

During the hours in which they had been walking the sun had set. Seeing this, Mei immediately thought of the evening meal they had missed. _I hope he starves._

Then a small piece of her relented. Kakashi wasn’t known for his chakra reserves and without food… This consideration was shouted down by the indignant thoughts that continued to swirl within her. _How dare he imply_ , she turned to face the cave entrance, wondering how much chakra it would take to fill the entire system with lava. _Too much_ , she concluded. She turned on her heel and stomped away, heading back toward the village.

Emotions churned and plagued her as she headed for the village that had in turns raised her, persecuted her, and followed her. Without realizing it, she’d entered the settlement and headed straight for Kaori’s apartment. Said woman answered her knock and, after taking one look at Mei asked, “what happened?” Her hazel eyes appraised her critically.

“We had a fight,” Mei said briskly. The brief description seemed altogether inadequate but she couldn’t think of a better way of saying it. She didn’t feel like talking at the moment. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach as she entered upon her friend’s invitation.

“About what?” Kaori said, settling onto her couch.

“I-” but Mei wasn’t sure how to answer that question. She had to think, calm down. She sat down on the sofa next to her friend and held her head in her hands.

“Do you want to spar?”

Mei shook her head.

“Are you hungry?”

Another shake of the head.

“We can talk when you’re ready then,” the kunoichi said.

Mei nodded in response.

Despite Mei’s negative answer, Kaori went into the kitchen and began pulling pots out of her cupboard. It was going to be a long night and they’d need food eventually.

000000

Kakashi stood up. One thing was for sure, he couldn’t stay where he was. His chakra wasn’t getting any more plentiful while he moped in a cave.

The Sixth Hokage bit his thumb and put the bloodied hand to the ground. He heard a poof and then Pakkun say, “would you mind turning the lights on boss?”

Kakashi obliged with a low-scale fire jutsu. He saw Pakkun look around quickly as the cave lit up and then devolved into darkness once more.

Even though neither of them could see, Kakashi heard Pakkun’s soft paws pad the floor to turn and look at him. Then the pug said, “why are we in a cave? You hate caves.”

Kakashi sighed. “Mei brought me down here for a date,” he explained.

“Some date,” Pakkun scoffed. “You didn’t tell her you hate caves, did you?”

“No.”

Pakkun left that alone for the time being. “Well where is she then?”

“We argued; she left,” Kakashi answered shortly.

“Why didn’t you apologize before you got yourself stuck in a cave without a light?” Pakkun asked.

Kakashi clenched his teeth but said nothing. “It would be easiest to walk out the way we came,” Kakashi said, steering the conversation toward business. “If we try to find another exit ourselves we could get hopelessly lost.”

“Right,” Pakkun responded.

“Keep chakra in your feet at all times, we jumped over a lot of ravines to get here. I don’t want you falling off of the edge.”

“Got it,” Pakkun said. “How long did it take you two to walk down to this point?”

There was silence for a time. For a moment Pakkun thought Kakashi wasn’t going to answer. Then the ninja said, “I don’t know. We meandered for quite awhile.”

Pakkun grunted sarcastically, “perfect. How’s your chakra level?”

“Fine, but don’t expect too much light.”

000000

“So let me get this straight,” Pakkun said as they continued walking up the cave wall. “You asked her if it bothered her to talk about her classmates? And that didn’t raise any red flags for you?”

The pug could practically visualize Kakashi shaking his head. “I was thinking about Rin, and Obito, and Minato-sensei. I have such a hard time talking about them that I was wondering how she does it.”

“But you didn’t think about how that comment might be taken by her?” Pakkun asked as they leveled out and continued down another tunnel. “She who grew up in the Blood-Mist Village where the graduation exam was a kill or be killed situation?”

“I know it was stupid,” Kakashi said exasperated. “But she had no right to talk about Rin like that.”

“You’re right,” Pakkun said. “But you’re talking to the wrong person about that. You two need to work this out…or don’t.”

The idea of leaving things as they were and not seeing Mei again pained Kakashi. Pakkun’s implication sat in his stomach like lead. “I don’t know if she’ll even want to see me,” Kakashi said tiredly.

Pakkun paused, sniffing. “I know this is probably the wrong time to ask, but do you have another of those fire jutsu in you? I think we’re at a crossroads over a sheer drop.”

Kakashi answered by lighting up the area with a fireball. He squinted at their surroundings as the fire went out. “I think this is the way we came in.”

“About time,” Pakkun said.

The night sky and clear air greeted them as they exited the cave. The stars and moon made night vision a possibility. Kakashi turned to his companion, his eyes adjusting to the low light of the moon. “Thanks Pakkun.”

“No problem boss,” Pakkun said. As he vanished he said, “now go talk to Mei!”

Kakashi nodded in agreement to the spot where Pakkun had just been. The ninja turned and looked toward the distant village lights. He sighed in discouragement as he forced his weary body to move forward. It had been a long night and was likely to get longer.

000000

Kaori was washing a dish when she heard it. She turned to her friend, confused, but Mei was glaring at the far wall, not looking anywhere near the window. The tapping on the glass continued and finally Kaori threw down her dish towel.

“Well if you aren’t going to get it,” she said.

“Tell him I don’t want to see him,” Mei said, frowning. After the talk she and Kaori had had, she was not entirely sure that she was in the right. However, she was still angry and hardly wanted to talk to Kakashi now.

Kaori maneuvered between the curtains and window to open the latter a crack. The kunoichi almost laughed at Kakashi’s appearance. He was a little dirty and definitely tired. The overall look could be called rumpled. The expression on his face when someone answered his knock however was nothing short of thankful. Kaori felt a little bad for the Hokage.

Before she could open her mouth Kakashi said, “please Kaori, just let me see her, I know she’s here.” He edged his fingers forward a bit to hold the window open in case it was slammed on him but at the kunoichi’s raised eyebrow he withdrew. He should have known better but he was feeling desperate.

“Nobody here wants to talk to you,” Mei shouted from the room beyond.

“Now isn’t really a good time Kakashi,” Kaori said flatly.

“I just need to talk to her, to apologize,” Kakashi said, his eyes pleading. “If I don’t, I don’t know what will happen. I can’t live with that.” 

Kaori bit her tongue, weighing the consequences of what she wanted to do. Finally her mind simply said, _screw it._ She slid the window all the way open and somersaulted out onto the overhang where Kakashi was crouched. “Don’t make me regret this Hatake,” Kaori whispered. She believed, just knew in her heart, that her friend and Kakashi were perfect for each other. So with an almost spotless conscience Kaori took off, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, away from her own apartment.

Kakashi took a breath and then stepped into the flat, closing the window behind him. He drew the curtain away to see Mei seated with her back to him. 

Mei turned, “Kaori you tell him-” she stopped as she saw him. Kakashi stood before her attempting to look as unassuming as possible. “What the-” Mei looked to the window and her brow furrowed. “Why that little- I should have known she’d take your side.” When Kakashi didn’t move she turned her back on him and said, “get out, before I throw you out. I have nothing to say to you.”

“Mei, I came here to apologize. If you don’t want to hear that then I’ll leave.” Mei didn’t say anything so he continued, “I also have some explaining to do.”

This made her turn back to him. “What do you have to explain?” A tension eased in Kakashi’s shoulders. She was going to hear him out.

“Did you know that, when I was younger, Rin and I thought that Obito had been crushed to death in a cave?”

Mei mutely shook her head, a frown still on her face. The mental image of Kakashi constantly inspecting the ceiling of the cavern leapt to her mind.

“Rin had been captured,” he summarized. “When Obito had convinced me to go back, we found her in a cave. We rescued her but one of the Stone ninja collapsed the whole thing on us. Obito threw me out of the way of a falling rock-” He trailed off and got very quiet.

Mei stood up to face him. “The cave was Kaori’s idea. She thinks I need to get you out of your comfort zone more,” Mei sighed, annoyed. “I just didn’t know how far we were getting.”

Kakashi accepted this and continued, “when I asked you what I did, I was thinking about my team. I have such a hard time talking about them that I envied your ability to memorialize them in such a way. I’m sorry. I never meant to imply-”

“I know,” Mei cut him off.

Kakashi’s brow furrowed, “what?”

Mei sighed. “I know you better, you’d never say that to hurt me.” She hugged herself, watching the floor. “I was feeling defensive because I was sharing so many things with you all at once.” _Darn Kaori and her logic talks. I should have known better than to run to her for an ally._ “And you’re right about why I talk about my classmates; it’s how I remember them,” Mei muttered. After a moment Mei continued, “Kaori, thank goodness, was not in the same class as me and we have each other. However, there’s no one left around to say, remember when? Thanks to me-” Mei clenched her fist angrily and reigned in her feelings.

Kakashi stepped forward. He wasn’t sure what he could do but he had to do something. Mei waved him off, steel in her eyes. “It is my fault but it isn’t, same as you. I spend too much time bogging my mind down in the past which I can’t change or the present things that I can’t control.” With that thought she looked up, her tortured visage clearing. “And I never meant to say that your teammates weren’t important. I’m so very sorry.”

Kakashi accepted this with a solemn nod of his head. “I accept your apology.”

Mei took a deep breath and said, “and I, yours.” After a moment she looked around the quiet apartment. “So what do we do now?”

“To be honest,” Kakashi said slowly. “I’d really like to sit down for a moment.”

Mei looked up at him. His hair was ruffled, clothes were dirty, and his eyes were at half-mast with weariness from the day. She blinked, “oh of course. I’m sure Kaori wouldn’t mind.” She muttered the last part, “since she let you in here in the first place.”

Kakashi nodded and removed his cloak. He lowered himself onto the couch, his eyes already closed, reclining gratefully. She sat next to him. When his head started a cycle of slowly tilting forward and then quickly jerking back up, Mei suggested he lay down on the couch with his head in her lap. He mutely agreed, adjusting his position as she’d said. She was surprised at how easy it was to convince him. _He must really be tired._

“Did one of your summons help you out?” Mei was feeling a little guilty now about leaving him there. Most ninja, she supposed, could find their way out of the system but some couldn’t. Not only that, but they had been deep underground when they’d parted ways. Mei had known a shortcut to the exit from where they’d been but she had left nothing for him to follow back to the surface but their original wandering path. 

Kakashi hummed in assent. He was lying there looking so worn and it was her fault. Mei wanted to do something, anything to make him feel better.

The Mizukage worried her lip, reached over, and delicately ran her fingers through Kakashi’s hair. She quickly withdrew her hand, waiting for him to protest, to flinch, to do any of the other things Kakashi usually did when she attempted anything resembling physical affection. Much to Mei’s surprise, the man she’d been getting to know for weeks now, leaned into the touch.

The woman was shocked for a moment but recovered quickly. She shifted so that she was more comfortably seated. When she ran her fingers through his hair again, Kakashi moved so that his head was easily within her reach. Mei almost laughed but didn’t want to jostle him. When she repeated the gesture her companion hummed contentedly. It made her grin at how easy it was. There they were, being physically affectionate for a whole minute in a row and counting!

Mei briefly considered how, years from now, this small triumph would seem ludicrous. But she quickly shuffled the thought away. For now, this was a wonderful moment to be enjoyed; until Kaori came home. Mei frowned at the window. It _was_ her friend’s apartment but still, Mei hoped that she would stay away a little longer as each minute passed. 

Mei was pretty sure Kakashi had fallen asleep within minutes of lying down. There was a possibility that he’d wake up with a crick in his neck. However, that didn’t matter. Not now, not right at that moment. What mattered was that she was playing with his hair and that they’d made up.

When the sun was threatening to make its appearance Kaori returned to her home. What she found was a former Mizukage and former Hokage asleep on her couch. They were slumbering and happy, as far as Kaori could tell anyway. Kakashi was laid out using Mei as a pillow. Mei was leaning into the cushions behind her, head tilted back, hand tangled in silver locks.

Kaori grinned mischievously at her success and closed all of the curtains tightly so that the sun wouldn’t wake her friends. Then she whispered, “I’m going to bed. I won’t wait up.” She slipped off to her bedroom to sleep for what remained of the night. 

Mission accomplished.


	22. Kakashi's New Clothes

Kaori waited in front of her apartment building for her best friend. The former kage had said that she wanted to go shopping but hadn’t explained why. So Kaori stood, people watching, until Mei came strolling up. They fell into an easy pace, heading for the main street of shops.

“So what is this all about?” Kaori asked as they entered the busy district.

Mei had a determined look on her face. “We’re buying Kakashi some new clothes.”

Kaori blinked. She thought back to the last time she’d seen the man she considered to be a brother-in-law. His clothes didn’t seem particularly distasteful. They were kind of boring and similar to what a lot of other Leaf jonin wore but that was not uncommon. “Um…why?”

Mei threw her hands in the air. “Because everything the man owns is either black or blue!”

Kaori eyed Mei’s blue dress critically, then her own green attire. “Your point? It’s not unusual to pick a color you like and stick to it.”

Mei sighed, exasperated. “I know but he literally wears nothing else. I asked him what other colors he owned and he just stared at me!”

Kaori blinked, still not seeing the problem, but proceeded on. “Well I guess we’ll just have to find him something, that’s all.”

Mei nodded and stormed into a shop. She bypassed the friendly clerk and started flipping through shirts on a rack. Kaori greeted the clerk politely and his smile widened. Meanwhile Mei was shifting any blue and black shirts aside in disgust.

“Blue, blue, why is everything blue?!” Mei fumed.

“We live in the Land of Water,” Kaori deadpanned. “People like blue.”

“Well I’m sick of blue,” Mei muttered. “Let’s try somewhere else.” She whirled and stomped out of the shop. The storekeeper watched her with raised eyebrows. Kaori shrugged and mouthed an apology as she followed Mei out.

After walking down the street for several seconds Mei said, “let’s go in here.”

Kaori looked up at the shop Mei had indicated and flinched. The outer wall was painted a bright orange and the loud yellow and green sign read, “Colorful Clothes for the Kool Shinobi”. Kaori’s mouth threatened to hang open of its own accord. She knew she’d seen the shop before but had immediately tried to block the experience from her memory. “This store has more orange than the Leaf’s Orange Hokage.”

“It’s perfect,” Mei said, ignoring her friend. She grasped Kaori’s hand and yanked her inside.

“Yo,” the clerk said, leering at the women as they entered.

Kaori raised a single eyebrow and a frown settled onto her face. Mei, however, turned to her blonde friend. “See? They even talk like him!”

Kaori’s jaw dropped. She pulled Mei aside. “What’s wrong with you today?”

Mei looked at her friend. “What do you mean?”

Kaori waved her hands dramatically at the flashy posters, obnoxious clothing, and creepy clerk who was waving at them. “What are we doing in this shop?! Why do you suddenly think you need to buy Kakashi a new outfit? And in what universe does that clerk’s speech pattern even remotely resemble the Sixth Hokage’s?!”

Mei blinked and looked at the clerk who was now posing for them behind a counter. “Okay, you’re right, it isn’t remotely the same. But, I’d just like to see Kakashi wearing something different for once. He wasn’t lying; the only clothes in his wardrobe are blue, dark blue, or black. There was a green spandex suit lying on the bottom in a corner but I assume that was a gift from Guy and it has remained there ever since.” Mei took a breath and calmed herself. “Kakashi said the other day that I looked beautiful in different colors. It got me thinking that I’d like to see him in some too.”

Kaori smiled. This was sweet, in a way, and Mei was practically glowing. She caved. “Okay Mei, let’s get your husband some clothes.”

They started pawing through the merchandise, ignoring the clerk when he tried to loop them into a conversation with pickup lines. “How about this one?” Mei held up a shirt.

Kaori raised an eyebrow. “Well, he does like eggplant so…”

“It’s not eggplant it’s purple!” Mei protested.

Kaori shrugged, “what’s the difference?”

“Eggplant is more like plum.”

Kaori looked at the shirt again. “It’s a plum shirt.”

“Purple,” Mei insisted. She shook the hanger, making the shirt wave like a flag.

“Mei, I can see the tag from here.”

Mei turned the shirt to face her. “Plum,” she read aloud.

“Um-hm,” Kaori murmured, satisfied. She flipped another shirt aside on the rack.

Mei put the shirt back quickly.

“How about this?” Kaori said holding up a shirt in her own favorite color.

“Green? He’ll say he’d look too much like Guy.”

Kaori considered the kelly green color. She shrugged, “good point.”

The hunt continued.

“He could look cute in orange,” Kaori commented holding up another shirt. It was cut in the same style as the blue and black shirts he wore already, just in a muted orange.

Mei frowned thoughtfully, “yes, but then he’d look too much like Naruto.”

Kaori nodded sensibly and returned the shirt to the rack.

“Red?”

“He’ll look like a target.”

“Grey?”

“He already has that color.”

Kaori batted her eyes in confusion. “I thought you said he only had black or blue?”

“His really old black shirts are grey now.”

“Oh.”

“Yellow?”

“Too light to go with his hair.”

“Indigo?”

“Too close to blue.”

“Stripes?”

Mei just raised an eyebrow in response.

Kaori held her hands up. “I don’t know what you want me to do here! We’ve been through the rainbow and then some.”

Mei looked around the store at literally every color she could imagine. However, she couldn’t imagine Kakashi wearing any of it. With a feeling like the sun coming over the horizon and casting light on new thoughts, she looked at her friend. “This was a mistake.”

“What?”

Mei grabbed her friend and pulled her back out of the store. The clerk waved at them hopefully but they didn’t look back at his toothy grin.

“What was a mistake?” Kaori asked as they made their way out of the shopping district.

Mei shook her head. “Kakashi wears blue and black because blue and black works well for him. If he wants to change things up then it’ll be up to him.”

“So, another pointless shopping trip behind us?” Kaori said hopefully.

“Not all shopping is pointless,” Mei said. “We learned a great lesson here today.”

“What’s that?” Kaori asked with a smile.

“Leave your husband’s clothes alone.” Suddenly Mei stopped dead in the street.

Kaori frowned. She’d almost gotten away scot-free. What insane plan was her friend dreaming up now?

“We forgot pink,” Mei stated solemnly. Mei made to grab Kaori and drag her back to the shops.

Kaori pulled away from her friend’s outstretched hands. “What happened to the lesson? The great life lesson we learned!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Kakashi needs our help,” Mei shouted as she yanked Kaori down the street. 

00000

“Um,” Kakashi said. He was holding a hot pink shirt with a ruffled collar and puffed sleeves. “Thank you Mei.”

Mei was bouncing with joy, a huge grin on her face. “Now you couldn’t wear it on missions obviously but it’s fine for around the villages.”

Kakashi opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. “I don’t know what to say.”

Mei’s smile fell from its previous height. “You don’t like it. Kaori thought it was too loud.”

“Oh, she’s right about that,” Kakashi said. He quickly added, “but I still love it.” He smiled and Mei’s smile grew. “I’ll put it on right now.”

Kakashi slipped off his black long-sleeved shirt and put the pink monstrosity on over his black undershirt. The v-neckline of the new garment dipped low, revealing the black material beneath. Kakashi eyed the bright color with more than a little concern.

Mei clapped her hands in glee. Kakashi raised an eyebrow, “are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine,” Mei said waving a hand. “Just happy.” After a pause she exclaimed, “let’s go out on a walk!”

Something inside of Kakashi’s chest clenched. The ruffles on the shirt tickled his neck and made him want to cringe. He imagined the stares and laughter, but then he imagined Mei’s smile. He closed his eyes in a moment of meditation and then opened them again. His back straightened. “Okay,” he said as nonchalantly as he could manage.

They stepped out of Kakashi’s apartment building, hand in hand. The stares and double-takes began almost immediately with two civilians sitting on a stoop across the street. Kakashi ignored this as he used to ignore his friends inviting him to eat with them. There was a giggle from somewhere behind them as they progressed down the street. Kakashi didn’t waver. His eyes were on the road in front of him and his wife. A genin squad and their sensei walked by. The students pointed and whispered. The sensei visually followed his genins’ outstretched fingers. He stopped dead, quickly averted his eyes, grasped his students by the collars, and hurried them on.

All this Kakashi ignored, but Mei did not. She blinked in confusion at the snickers and hecklers about them. She put her hand to her hair and surreptitiously glanced down at her own outfit. Then she glanced at her stone-faced husband. Her eyes traveled down to the pink ruffles and stopped, considering. “You know Kakashi,” Mei began, “that shirt makes you look kind of silly.” A giggle escaped Mei as a disbelieving side-glance was shot at her. She looked around. “I thought it’d be dashing but in retrospect,” she trailed off, frowning at herself in confusion.

Kakashi released the tiniest sigh and whispered, “follow my lead.” He raised his hands into a sign and hedged into his student turned successor. The imitation Naruto forced a laugh. “Let’s get out of here Hinata before sensei catches us.”

_Oh, right._ Mei transformed into Hinata. The disguised couple made their quick, but not too quick, getaway.

Back at Kakashi’s apartment Mei was cackling. “Blaming it on Naruto, that was brilliant!”

Kakashi peeled the pink garment off. He shot Mei an incredulous look. “Did you enjoy yourself?”

This gave Mei pause. She looked at her husband, mouth slightly ajar. “Oh Kakashi I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I really thought it looked good on you. And now,” she trailed off again, a little confused at herself. “How did I think that would look good anywhere?”

With this sentence hanging in the air, Kakashi tossed the garment into the corner of his closet that had thus far been reserved for green jump suits.

The Sixth Hokage shook his head and almost laughed a bit himself. “You know Mei, if I didn’t know any better I’d think you were pregnant.” He walked across the room to close the closet door on the horror within.

Mei blinked, then blinked again. Her eyebrows furrowed and she blinked yet again. Mei couldn’t speak. Her heart had begun to flutter and her mouth wouldn’t work. The silence made Kakashi turn from the closet, glancing at his wife.

“Mei?”

The room was silent as the dawn.

Kakashi crossed the space between them in two quick strides, kneeling in front of her. “Mei?”

Slowly she said, “I have to go see Sakura.” She stood up in a bit of a daze and Kakashi watched her walk out of the apartment, equally stunned. He quickly shook himself and went after her, catching her in the hall.

“Mei, are we pregnant?” There was something expanding inside of Kakashi’s heart, his chest swelling until it felt too full, too good. There was a river of thoughts rushing through his mind and his breathing quickened. All he could see was Mei’s face, feel her hands in his.

Mei looked up at him with a smile and tears in her eyes. She opened her mouth but they said it together, “we need to go see Sakura.”


	23. House Number Six

It was another quiet evening at the Hatake household. The boys were upstairs in their room. The girls were downstairs, with their parents, playing on the floor. The heads of household were reclining after dinner, discussing the upcoming chunin exams to be held in the Hidden Cloud.

Mei was telling a story about her first attempt at the exams. In short, everything that could have gone wrong did and she never got another chance. Shortly after that exam the first round of purges had begun in the Mist and she’d had to go into hiding. Mei was working up to the part where she was nearly beheaded by ninja wire when her husband stiffened beside her.

Mei stopped her recitation. “What is it?”

Kakashi rose slowly, glancing out the front window. “Alarm, an old one, that runs underground. I haven’t checked it in awhile so it could be misfiring.”

“Do you want me to get the children ready to leave?” Mei glanced at her daughters. They were playing with their kunoichi dolls’ outfits as if the right look would come along if they just kept trying different things. So far all of the color combinations were either obnoxious or clashing.

Kakashi’s eyes stayed trained on the outdoors as he made his way to the door. He didn’t say anything at first, turning the issue over in his mind. “No, stay here for now. I honestly didn’t think that trap was still active.” After another pause he said, “be back soon,” and vanished.

To their credit, the young girls noticed their father’s sudden departure and paused in their play to look to their mother questioningly. Mei smiled back at them with a face that was hopefully reassuring. She briefly wondered at the trust children placed in their parents and the responsibility the parents took on when having them.

Outside, Kakashi crept to one of the outer rings of defense around the house, almost into the tree line. He knelt by the earth, using his chakra to sense the underground tags he’d ignored for weeks. _Careless,_ he chided himself as he examined the seal that had alarmed him. He was halfway through his inspection when a prickle at the back of his neck made him turn. His eyes widened.

The house was consumed by a murky green smoke leeching out from the inside. He could see it seeping out of the cracks around the windows and doors. It gave the house an eerie presence, as if it were on fire from within but he could see no flames.

Senses on high alert, the father and husband bolted back to the dwelling, shoving aside the panic that had begun to cloud his senses. He stretched out his awareness to locate the intruder while he attempted to think the situation through logically. His heart pounded in his chest. He sensed no one, but he hadn’t sensed anyone after the initial warning either. This gave him a sick feeling that resounded all the way to his toes.

Reaching the house seemed like it took an eternity, precious seconds lost due to his negligence. At last the door was within reach and he threw it open, barely registering the hinges breaking and the door hanging cock-eyed in its frame.

“Mei!” Kakashi shouted against the swamp of smoke that met him. Only silence answered him and a cold hand grasped his heart. There was a possibility that Mei had already evacuated the children but he wasn’t going to rely on that hope. The sinking feeling in his stomach let him know that no, they were all still inside of this.

Thankful that he’d worked seals into his mask years ago, Kakashi plunged into the murk. After using a small wind jutsu to open up visibility, he saw his twin daughters laid out on the wooden floorboards. He approached their still bodies fearfully. Terror threatened to overpower his other faculties.

He reached out hesitantly to touch the arm of the closer girl, Fujita. She had begged Mei to braid her hair that morning. It was tied back with a pink ribbon. Favorite color or not, the light red clashed horribly with her auburn locks. When his skin met hers it was warm to the touch and he could feel the life in it as if it were his own. Relief made his muscles relax the tiniest bit.

Hands flashing through signs, Kakashi produced a clone of himself who scooped up first one daughter, then the other, and hurried out of the building. The original hurried on.

Kakashi was halfway up the stairs when he nearly stumbled over Mei’s body. It was prone on the stairs, as if she’d been racing up as the noxious smoke overcame her.

Kakashi frantically brushed her disheveled hair away from her face to get a look at her. “Mei,” Kakashi said, holding her face in his hands. She gave no response but her breathing and heart rate were normal. “What is this?” Kakashi asked himself aloud, glancing around at the curling green smoke around them. He paused to make two more clones. His third doppelganger picked Mei up gingerly, cradling her head against his chest so that he wouldn’t strain her neck. As the clone carrying Mei hurried back downstairs, Kakashi bit his thumb. In another flash of hand signs Pakkun appeared.

“What the-?” the pug exclaimed as he materialized beneath Kakashi’s hand. The little dog coughed. “What happened?!”

“Pakkun, I need you and my clone to figure out where this is coming from, and fast. I have to run upstairs and get the boys out of here. If something happens to me, take care of Mei and the girls. They’re already outside.” Even as Kakashi said this he reached the top of the stairs and slammed his palm into a seal on the wall. The inked design glowed red for a moment and then vanished. Kakashi looked back down the stairs but couldn’t see Pakkun through the hazy green smoke.

A memory flashed into his mind as his first clone dispelled. Mei and his other shadow clone had joined the girls in the woods. He breathed a little easier as he shouldered his way into the boys’ room. Roka’s unconscious body had been blocking the door. Kakashi slid into the room and hefted his eldest onto his shoulder. Kasumi, who was lying awkwardly half off of his bed, was easier to lift.

Kakashi turned to leave when a new memory flashed into his mind. His clone’s trip to the cellar was pretty routine but then his clone had looked at Pakkun. The pug’s eyes were wide as he turned from a wired device sitting on the cellar floor. “It’s a bomb, get out now!”

Kakashi immediately teleported out of the house with his sons in tow. The house exploded before his feet had touched grass. He ducked his head against the heat of the flames. The shock wave made his ears pop. Distantly he noticed that something had hit his arm. Kakashi was knocked flat into the grass like a piece of debris as the night was lit up by the burst of fire that consumed the house.

After a few seconds Kakashi caught his breath and pushed himself up into a sitting position. The smell of cool grass was consumed by the sudden heat drying out the air. Smoke filled his nose as he visually inspected his still unconscious boys.

The father turned back to the house to see the main supports ablaze, the now glassless window frames that were still intact vented much needed oxygen to the flames. Debris collapsed through the floors into the basement. Kakashi’s eyes widened, _the basement._

Fear seized him once again. His hands fumbled through the familiar signs for summoning; his arm burned at the movement. Kakashi smacked his hand to the ground. Nothing happened. His eyes bulged and his breath caught. He tried again, signing slower this time to be sure of no mistakes. Nothing. Tightness settled into his chest. “Pakkun?” He removed his hand from the ground slowly, no pug had appeared.

Slowly Kakashi turned his hand up to stare at the blackened palm in disbelief. He blinked once, twice, and he took a breath. There was no fresh blood on his hand and hope cropped up. Giving himself a frantic once-over, he swiped some blood onto his hand from a wound in his arm and tried again. Pakkun appeared in a puff of smoke.

“Hey, are the pups alright?” Pakkun did not wait for an answer. He pranced over to the silver-haired boys and began to sniff them over carefully. 

Kakashi flopped back onto the lawn and closed his eyes. 

“What’s wrong with you?” Pakkun demanded when he looked up from his inspection of the boys. The man was limp with relief, laid out on the grass.

The Hatake sat up and rubbed ash out of his eyes with one hand. “Nothing, Pakkun, it’s nothing.” He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. Then Kakashi picked his sons up and hurried over to the spot where the female Hatakes lay. Pakkun trotted at his heels.

Pakkun appraised him as they ran over. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Kakashi nodded. “We’re all okay,” he whispered too soft for the hound to hear. He gave his boys a squeeze and focused on what lay ahead. 

After setting his sons down and checking his daughters one more time, Kakashi sat down next to Mei’s still form. In the nearby thicket crickets chirped, oblivious to the fire that did not concern them. 

“Sure you’re okay boss? Your house did kind of just explode.” Pakkun asked. The pug walked over and sat next to Kakashi.

Kakashi looked up at the sky. By now he and Mei would have normally just finished tucking the kids in. The remnants of their house burned in the clearing beyond, lighting up the night sky. Ash had begun to float up and away from them, carried by the uncaring breeze.

“Do you want me to stay?” Pakkun prompted. Kakashi hadn’t moved. He just stared up at the sky. Pakkun turned a couple of times in place and laid down in the mulch on the forest floor. Kakashi reached out and gave Pakkun’s ears a light scratch before letting his hand fall back at his side. Pakkun wagged his tail twice in response.

An hour later Mei stirred, rousing Kakashi from his waking dream. His anxious face was the first thing she saw when she woke up. She blinked at him lazily, still half-asleep. A small smile crawled over her face before it ran away. She took in the look of her husband, haggard and worn. She felt the earth at her back and saw the sky over them both. She remembered the smoke, telling the girls to get outside, running upstairs to get the boys… Her eyes opened wide and she sat bolt upright.

Kakashi managed to get a few calming words out before Mei saw their children strewn about them. This threw her into a panic. One bite from Pakkun and an easily blocked blow from Kakashi later and they were all sitting in the leaf litter once again. Mei cradled Kasumi in her arms, she held his head protectively.

“You’re sure they’re alright?”

“They smell fine Mei,” Pakkun ground out. “And either way there’s nothing we can do about it right now.”

Mei frowned but had no counterargument. She turned to Kakashi who looked rundown but alert. Without looking up, as if he knew she was watching him, he said, “I activated the Leaf distress beacon before the house exploded. They shouldn’t be long now. I assume if our attackers were going to come back they would have already.”

“If it’s who I think it was, they won’t,” Mei commented softly. She thought of the scent of the green mist, the use of tactics. It was their style.

Kakashi frowned and looked at his wife.

“It’s probably some of the Blood Mist Renegades. They’re very secretive and rarely fight in open combat. You remember my little cottage that burned down?”

This got Kakashi’s attention. His eyes popped. “That was them?! I thought that was arson?!”

Mei gave Kakashi a flat stare. “You really are from the Leaf if you believed that.”

“But the official report-” Kakashi trailed off at Mei’s incredulous stare. “You should have said something. Naruto would have-”

Mei waved her hand, “he would have been in an uproar and not been able to do anything about it. They’ve been trying to kill me for years, even after I retired.”

“And you didn’t think to mention this until now?” Kakashi demanded.

Mei only looked a little guilty. “It wasn’t a problem until now. They haven’t tried since the cottage. They had other targets I suppose. I’d hoped that Chojuro had stomped out the last of them.” They lapsed into silence, waiting for the Leaf or the dawn, whichever came first.

“You should get some rest,” Mei said quietly. Pakkun pretended he wasn’t there.

“I’m fine,” Kakashi responded. “I don’t think I could sleep tonight if I tried.”

Mei nodded. They’d had many nights like this, Kakashi not being able to sleep and pacing the house, checking and rechecking the traps and tripwires. Sometimes there was a trigger, sometimes it was just a feeling. Mei had been getting better at figuring them out over the years. Of course this night something actually had happened. There was nothing she could do while Kakashi mentally beat himself up. They sat in silence, neither able to sleep. The three watched over their pack beneath the stars.

An hour later, Yamato arrived with a team of medical ninja.

“They destroyed the house Tenzo,” Kakashi said tiredly without preamble. “I’m sorry.”

“I saw,” Tenzo said, wondering how he was supposed to have missed that. The jonin sighed, “well, I had been meaning to make a certain modification in the last couple of models but I only figured out what I was doing wrong last week.”

Kakashi held up a tired hand, “it doesn’t have to be perfect. The last-,” Kakashi was embarrassed to realize he’d lost count of how many houses Tenzo had made for them. He swiftly counted them in his head and finished with, “-six models have been wonderful.”

There was an awkward pause. “You forgot again didn’t you?” Tenzo deadpanned.

Kakashi opened his mouth to reply but a medical kunoichi cut him off. “Let me see that arm Lord Hokage.” Kakashi absently handed her his right arm. She took it out of reflex but frowned at him. “I meant the one with the splinter.”

Kakashi glanced at his left arm which had a “splinter” sticking out of it as wide as his thumb. _Now when did that get there?_ He handed his left arm to the kunoichi while casting anxious glances toward the ninja working with his children.

“They’re fine Kakashi,” Tenzo said. Kakashi nodded in response but didn’t take his eyes off of them. Tenzo frowned and turned to Mei who was also watching Kakashi.

Pakkun looked at Tenzo, then Mei, then Kakashi. He sighed, walked over to Kakashi, and bit him in the ankle. Kakashi didn’t yelp exactly but he did gasp in surprise. His head swiveled over to look at the pug who was receiving glares from all sides. “You’re making people worry,” Pakkun told Kakashi. “Quit it.” 

Kakashi blinked, looked at his wife, then his friend. Tenzo looked embarrassed, Mei annoyed. “Good therapy Pakkun,” she sarcastically told the pug.

The dog shrugged his haunches. “It’s worked in the past.”


	24. Tree Jumping Lessons

“So, what do you want to do today?” Kakashi asked over breakfast. They were eating outside at a café down the street from Hokage Tower. The sky kept getting bluer as the morning progressed and the temperature rose. It was shaping into the kind of spring day where the very air seemed to be alive with life. It flowed into your lungs like water and made you buoyant. The sun shone, warming the spots that grew almost too cool in the light breeze.

Mei smiled. She’d been hoping to ask Kakashi this for awhile and at last they had the time and opportunity. “Teach me to tree jump.”

Kakashi paused with his pastry halfway to his mouth. He lowered it, much to the chagrin of the passersby. The small crowd had been loitering for far too long at the magazine stand across the street, waiting to see the Hokage eat. The Sixth Hokage, seemingly ignorant of the disappointed village-folk, was puzzled. “What do you mean? You already know how to tree jump. I’ve seen you do it.” He punctuated the statement with a slight of hand trick that allowed him to dispatch the pastry instantly. Disgruntled mutterings grew among the nearby people as their former Hokage suddenly began to chew.

Mei shook her head, mouth full. She swallowed and said, “I know I can but it’s smoother when you do it. I want to be able to do it like a native Leaf ninja.”

Kakashi had a childish urge to make a certain joke but he resisted. It was bad enough that the woman at the next table looked scandalized by Mei’s speech. After a few seconds of observation, the woman went from looking appalled to frowning disapprovingly at Mei. Kakashi’s eyes narrowed the tiniest bit. Then a wicked smile crept into place behind his mask. In a cheerful voice he finally responded to Mei, “alright, if you insist. I’ll show you how we do it.” He winked knowingly at the woman behind Mei. Said woman choked on her breakfast. 

After they finished their meal in the empty café, Kakashi took Mei to one of the larger training grounds.

“I don’t really know what I’m going to be able to show you Mei,” Kakashi said as they stepped up to the wooded area. “It’s just holding onto the branches to make sure you don’t fall off. It’s easier than water walking and you do that very well.”

“I live on an island so I would hope so,” Mei deadpanned. “It’s just,” Mei jumped into the nearest tree and Kakashi followed suit. She landed on a thick branch next to the trunk. He chose an offshoot of that branch that swayed with his weight but did not break. She turned and saw the leaves waving at her. She pointed at him accusingly. “See, that’s a perfect example. I would have never chosen that branch!”

Kakashi looked down at the bough he was crouched on. He glanced back up at Mei, “why?”

Mei waved her hands, slightly frustrated. “Because it’s too thin! It could have broken. I might have fallen right off!” Kakashi stood up straight on his branch and bounced his weight by bending his knees. The bough swayed with the pressure but did not break. Mei was not amused. “I could melt the branch off you know.”

Kakashi shrugged. He hopped from his limb to Mei’s main branch. “Did you ever climb trees Mei? I mean before you learned chakra manipulation.”

“Not really,” Mei replied, thinking about it. “Most of the trees in the Mist have moss growing on them. Trees were usually something to hide under when it rained.”

Kakashi nodded. “Climb this one,” he nodded at the tree they were standing on.

Mei planted a foot on the vertical trunk.

Kakashi coughed, “I meant without chakra.”

“Oh,” Mei said and blushed. “Right.” She looked at the tree again, searching out an available branch. She looked in vain. All of the branches were out of her reach and she assumed that chakra-enhanced jumping was also off limits.

“You can try climbing down as well if you like, but no jumping,” Kakashi said. As he spoke, he stepped out onto the thinner branch that he’d perched on earlier. Balancing on the center of the bough he walked out onto it. As he got further and further out onto the branch’s thinning network of twigs, the limb bent more and more under his weight.

Mei’s eyes popped. “What are you doing?!” She asked, slightly alarmed. As she watched the branch bend down, Kakashi walked even farther out onto it, impossibly far. As he neared the end, his gait became a trot and then he ran off the tips of the leafy branch which by this time had touched right to the ground. As Kakashi stepped off of it the bough bounced right back into place, shaking a few leaves off as it did so. 

Kakashi turned and looked at Mei who was like a statue up in the tree. “Now you try.”

“You used chakra,” Mei protested. “You must have.”

Kakashi shook his head. “All it takes is balance and know-how and you have both. It’s the same as climbing the tree.”

“You used chakra,” Mei insisted, shaking her head.

Kakashi smiled up at her. “Even though I learned to climb trees after I learned chakra manipulation, I still know how to do it without chakra. My reserves are only average, as you know. On some missions the difference between success and failure could be my ability to do such things with the minimal amount of chakra or none at all. I learned; I practiced.”

Mei looked at the distance to the ground skeptically.

“Try shimmying down the trunk,” Kakashi suggested.

“In a dress?” Mei countered.

Kakashi raised a silver eyebrow. “I asked you what you wanted to do today. Today you wore a dress. I don’t see how this is my fault.”

Mei’s eyes narrowed at him and she sniffed. Without another word, she positioned herself to one side of the branch she was standing on. Awkwardly she clung to the tree and hung herself off a bit. She looked down to scan for a foothold. Kakashi stepped closer to the tree to get under her. “What are you doing?” Mei asked huffily.

Kakashi’s dark eyes widened in mock innocence. “In case you fall.” He held out his arms, “I’ll be here to catch you.” He cocked his head a little to one side. “Although I can’t deny that I’m enjoying the view.”

“Take care or I might ‘accidently’ fall on you and break your pretty face,” Mei growled. She was grasping the branch she’d been standing on as her feet probed for holds below. Her left big toe located a knot and she used that for balance when her hand slipped. She tried to use chakra to catch herself but the branch was already too far away. She was free-falling, long hair streaming out above her, and a single gasp later she’d landed.

Pervert or not, Kakashi did catch her. He bent his knees to absorb the momentum and instantly tilted Mei back onto her feet. “You alright?”

Mei nodded, taking a breath. She brushed her hair out of her face. It was usually terrifying to just fall. Usually, in their line of work, they were forcefully thrown into something or kicked down. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d simply fallen down. Free falling took longer and the suspense was what had really startled her. Her brain had been in a constant cycle of, I’ll hit now, no, I’ll hit now, no, for what seemed like an eternity.

Mei looked at the tree. Kakashi walked toward it and began to free climb. He fit his fingers and hands into the gaps in the bark, pushing and pulling himself higher up the trunk. She watched his hands, the way he moved. Her mouth fell open and she said, “you’re reading the tree.”

Kakashi turned and looked at her, hands still pressed into the notches of the bark in front of him. “You could put it that way.” He slid back down as Mei approached. She put her hand to the bark, seeing the possibilities. “It’s not difficult; it’s just knowing how to do it. All it takes is some strength, which you have, and practice.” Mei grasped a lump of bark high above her head and pulled herself up. “Of course different trees take different techniques but you won’t have to free climb everything. This is just to show you how to pay attention.” Mei’s feet were at Kakashi’s eye level now so he also began scaling the tree.

Before Mei was even aware of what she was doing, she was even with the branch she’d leapt to earlier. She glanced over at it in surprise. She then adjusted her climbing until she could grasp the large branch and pull herself onto it. It felt like climbing onto a barrel. The round surface was solid underneath her and Mei stood up, triumphant. Kakashi joined her seconds later and they shared a smile.

“Now,” Kakashi said. “As far as choosing a branch to jump to…”

They spent the rest of the morning going over the signs of disease and rot in trees, how much pressure branches of certain widths could take, and chakra usage when pushing off. The more Kakashi thought about it, the more information he realized he took for granted when he tree-jumped. Mei didn’t have any of this knowledge or experience and had been wasting energy jumping too far or too often to avoid branches that, although were perfectly acceptable, she thought were too dangerous to use.

“The rest is just applying what you’ve learned,” Kakashi explained.

“Like we’ve been doing?” Mei asked, smirking. Of course, during the entire lecture, they’d been jumping from tree to tree to tree. Mei was certain they’d jumped on every tree on the grounds at least twice already.

Still, Mei felt she was getting the hang of it. She saw the trees as moving, living things, even though they were mostly stationary. They could move in their own way and she moved with them and through them. She weaved amongst the leaves and branches like an eel weaves through the water. She simply hadn’t looked for the rhythm before. 

“I asked you what you wanted to do today,” Kakashi began again, teasing her.

“I know I know,” Mei cut him off. “But how about some lunch? I’m famished.”

“Lunch it is,” Kakashi said jumping down to the ground. “Then you can ask me what I want to do.” There was a hopeful note in his tone.

Mei laughed in the spring air but gave no other response, her mind already in overdrive. The last Hatake had been attempting to get her to read a certain book series for weeks. Thus far he’d been so impressed with Mei’s evolving and elaborate excuses that he’d let it go. Kakashi smiled to himself as he snaked his arm around her waist for a half hug. Mei had other ideas however and leaned into his side. They stood there for a moment in the middle of the forest and held each other.

Mei inhaled through her nose and sighed out the breath. The green around her was almost overpowering. “Is spring here always like this?”

She looked up at Kakashi and met his eyes. He wasn’t looking at the forest but was staring at the green of her eyes instead. “Not always,” was all he said. 


	25. Thunderstorms

Another flash of lightning streaked across the night sky. Roka cringed at the boom of thunder that followed. The boy tore his eyes away from the second story window and padded down the wooden floorboards toward the door to his parent’s room. Giving the door a soft but hurried knock he reached high for the knob and let himself in.

Kakashi and Mei’s room was large and dark but Roka was determined. He had to reach the safety of his parent’s bed before the next flash of lightning. His little feet hurried him over to Mei’s side of the bed, which was closer to the door, when another bolt of lightning made its dash for the ground.

The room lit up instantly, the frightening light shining in through the glass balcony doors. Roka’s eyes were drawn to that light despite his fear. In the doorframe stood a tall figure, inky black against the burst of light outside. Instead of being frightened, Roka was reassured at the sight. The boy didn’t need to see the man’s face to know who stood at the window. He drew his father’s attention with a quiet word so he would not wake his mother.

“Daddy?”

Kakashi’s slouched shoulders straightened and he turned from the window. “Roka?”

The boy nearly stumbled over his own feet as he raced around the bed toward his father. Kakashi took two strides to meet him. He knelt down as Roka flew into his arms. The boy buried his face in Kakashi’s shoulder, tiny hands grasping fistfuls of his father’s shirt.

Kakashi put his arms around his son, shifting into a sitting position with his back to the window and Roka in his lap. “What is it? Did you have a nightmare?”

Roka shook his head, effectively wiping his tears on the black shirt Kakashi wore. Another streak of lightning lit up the room and the roll of thunder that followed made Roka tense into a ball. Kakashi instinctively tightened his grip, pulling Roka closer to him.

“Are you afraid of the storm?”

Roka nodded, still not looking up from the safety of his father’s lap. Kakashi sighed and shifted again so that his back was to the footboard of his and Mei’s bed. He leaned into it, holding Roka to his chest.

“The thunder can’t hurt you, and the lightning isn’t a threat, at least not to us,” Kakashi tried. He knew using logic probably wouldn’t work but he thought he’d try anyway.

Roka’s wide eyes looked up hesitantly. “It’s still loud, and scary.”

Kakashi nodded down at his son. “You’ve got me there. But I won’t let it get you, okay? If I hold you, do you think you’ll be able to get to sleep?” 

Roka shrugged his tiny shoulders. Then he jumped and burrowed his face into Kakashi’s chest as the room was lit up once more. His reaction wasn’t nearly as violent when the thunder resounded throughout the wooden house. It boomed with a force that reverberated within their very chests. It felt like their own hearts were beating extra strokes to match the storm’s fury. Kakashi glanced over at his sleeping wife.

Mei was used to any kind of rain there was. She’d told him once that in parts of Water Country, there were thunderstorms that occurred daily like clockwork. Those storms poured their rain for an hour and then left as quickly as they came. Be it a drizzle, virga, sheets of rain, or cloudbursts, Mei had seen it all. Kakashi wasn’t surprised that she was sleeping right through this storm.

When the booming was over with, Roka looked up at his father’s face. Kakashi repeated his question. He got a solid, “maybe,” in response. Roka settled against his father’s chest once more but then popped back up again. The boy frowned and asked, “Daddy did the storm scare you too?”

Kakashi’s mask hid a bitter smile while his eyes remained passive. “No,” he said slowly, “not exactly.” His mind was already working ahead on how to explain this to his inquisitive son. 

The inevitable question came a moment later. “Why weren’t you sleeping?” Roka’s innocent eyes watched him intently.

After a moment of consideration Kakashi replied, “the storm reminds me of something, and I can’t sleep when I’m thinking about it.”

“What does it re-remind you of,” Roka quickly asked. Their voices remained quiet for Mei’s consideration. The emphasis on quiet made the entire conversation seem like a secret meeting. 

Kakashi watched the floor. Deciding on a bit of the truth, and hoping that Mei wasn’t going to slap him for this later, Kakashi said, “thunderstorms remind me of the night your grandpa died. It makes me sad.”

“Oh,” was all Roka said. The boy leaned his face into Kakashi’s chest. Then after a moment, “I’m sorry the storm makes you sad.” 

Kakashi gave his son a squeeze and kissed his downy silver hair. “It’s okay.” They sat in silence for awhile. The storm had moved off a bit which diminished its power over them. The lightning wasn’t as bright and the sound of the thunder took longer to reach them. The distant, echoing booms were now simply a pressure on their ears rather than on their hearts.

Roka’s little body began to relax bit by bit. Kakashi tightened his hold so the boy didn’t slide onto the floor. “Daddy?” The boy asked sleepily.

Kakashi answered with a soothing noise in his throat.

“Can I sleep here for awhile?” The last word was punctuated by a yawn. Then the pale face and hair nuzzled into black fabric.

Kakashi glanced outside at the dark night. The downpour of rain on the roof had been reduced to a medium shower. The lightning and its famous partner were already becoming distant memories.

“Just a little while, then I’m taking you back to bed.” There was no answer from Roka except for regular puffs of air hitting Kakashi’s neck.

Kakashi sat content in the dark room holding his child. The constant rain was his companion during the late night vigil. “I’ll tell you the rest when you’re older,” Kakashi promised, “a lot older.”

The ninja held his son tightly, the boy that looked like his father…and his grandfather. 


	26. Mei's Long Day

“Are you sure you have to go to the meeting?” Mei asked. She had just arrived at Kakashi’s Hokage apartment moments ago. It was Kakashi’s turn to host the visit and she could stay the entire weekend. They’d both been looking forward to it.

“It’s only for part of this morning and then I’m yours all weekend,” Kakashi soothed, holding her close to him. He’d nearly broken his promise to Naruto when Mei had walked in. Her face had looked so bright and he’d had to immediately disappoint her.

“Couldn’t you smooth talk your way out of it?” Mei asked, sighing into his shoulder. She knew the plea was useless but she tried it anyway.

Mei completely understood. She was invited to meetings all the time. There was a reason that a lot of former kage, if they survived their term in office, spent most of their time outside of their home village.

Mei felt Kakashi shake his head. “I could but I shouldn’t. Naruto needs me for this…particular official.”

“Don’t tell me,” Mei said, still speaking into Kakashi’s shoulder. “Another one of the Fire Lord’s men who doesn’t believe the war actually happened?”

Kakashi grunted in the affirmative. “My record, for the most part, was documented over time and acknowledged. He sees Naruto as a glorified genin made Hokage who has a lot of rumors floating around about him. Of course he doesn’t know anyone who was actually on the battlefield so…”

Mei pulled away to look at him. “And Naruto’s field promotion?”

Kakashi waved his hand, “he’d say that I promoted Naruto out of some sort of affection for my sensei.” He sighed and rubbed his face. “I am not looking forward to this conference.”

Mei smiled. “This is what you get for having incredible students.”

There was a knock on the door. They both turned and automatically felt for the person outside. “Come in,” Kakashi called to the Fifth Hokage. 

Tsunade entered and crossed her arms. “If you’re not up there in five minutes you’re going to be late,” she said without preamble. “Naruto informed me of the situation and I’m perfectly capable of keeping Mei company, now get going!”

Kakashi pouted through his mask. “But if I arrive on time he’ll think I’m an imposter,” he protested.

Tsunade rolled her eyes, “go brat!”

Kakashi gave an exasperated sigh and turned to Mei, “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. Mei closed her eyes and leaned into the touch. When she opened her eyes he was gone.

Tsunade was still standing in the apartment, just inside of the doorway. She was examining Kakashi’s bookshelf while Mei’s blush subsided. After what she deemed to be an appropriate interval of time the Slug Princess looked at Mei. “Naruto sends his apologies. He knew this was a visiting weekend for you but felt he had no other choice.”

Mei smiled. “I understand.”

Tsunade nodded and the kage lapsed into silence. Then the blonde spoke again. “I know Kakashi has shown you around the village before but-” She stopped. “We never got to know each other well, even during the war. I would like to.”

“Oh,” Mei said, her mind settling into the new topic. Mei hadn’t thought the Fifth to be serious when she said that she’d keep her company. She just figured she’d sit in Kakashi’s apartment and read until he got back. He owned more books than Jiraiya’s series. Besides, she wouldn’t be against at least giving them a look… Getting to know Tsunade would be more interesting however. “That would be lovely.”

Tsunade nodded. “Good. I know Kakashi hasn’t shown you my favorite tea shop.”

“The one where they serve you sake in the middle of the day? He has actually.” Mei tried not to giggle at the expression on Tsunade’s face.

Tsunade frowned and her brow darkened. Mei waited for the mood to pass. “Well we’ll go there anyway,” Tsunade said, her spirits only a little damp.

They talked openly all the way to the shop. Small talk came easily as they commented on the wares in the shop windows or shared their likes and dislikes in general. Tsunade shared some stories about treating her teammates in the field. Mei was halfway through a story about her Hunter days when they entered the shop.

“Lady Tsunade,” the owner said, greeting her respectfully. “And the Lady Mizukage as well! Would you like your usual table?”

Tsunade nodded and they were shown to a back booth. Mei asked, “do you all have secret restaurants and bars that you like to go to? Or is it just you and Jiraiya?”

Tsunade blinked at Mei in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Never mind.” Mei made a mental note to cross-check that with Kakashi later.

After a server brought their drinks Mei finished her story. “So there wasn’t supposed to be a contract out for either of them and it was a huge misunderstanding,” Mei concluded. She smiled at her cup, remembering.

Tsunade examined her from across the table. Changing the subject after a pause she said, “I hope you aren’t too mad at Kakashi. He’d do practically anything for his students.”

Mei waved off her concern. “I’ve had to blow him off a couple of times for state business. It’s an understanding we’ve had since we first got together. We always make it up to each other.”

Tsunade hummed in her throat, looking at the table. “That’s good, because if you hurt him, we’ll remove you from the picture.” She looked up at the Mizukage, brown eyes hard.

Mei had been lifting her drink to her mouth and paused, quirking a delicate eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

Tsunade leveled her eyes at Mei over her sake cup. She said it again, plainly, “if you hurt Kakashi, we’ll kill you.” They locked eyes for a moment and Mei knew that she was completely serious. The blonde continued, “I’m not as convivial as Kakashi’s students but let me make myself clear. I like you, I like that you two are happy together. But I have known Kakashi man and boy and all he has ever done has been sacrifice himself for his village and his comrades. Kakashi never wanted to be Hokage but I convinced him that he needed to be, for the village and for Naruto. So he did and he was and then you came along.” Tsunade paused here and looked across the room to the outside. Then she turned back to Mei. “You came along and, at twice Kakashi’s age expectancy, made him a kid again.

“So, if you hurt him, you will have the wrath of the Leaf Village knocking down your door. Not least of the group will be the last two living sannin, because Orochimaru has grown sentimental in his old age and nobody messes with Sakumo’s boy.”

The air was uncomfortably still after Tsunade’s speech. Mei set her cup down slowly. It wasn’t a threat exactly, more like a promise. But Mei had a pledge of her own. She looked the Fifth Hokage dead in the eye. “I would never hurt Kakashi, not on purpose anyway. And as long as he’ll have me I’ll be by his side. That’s a promise.”

Tsunade held her eyes and smirked. “I believe you.” After a beat she continued, “which is good because getting word to Orochimaru would be a pain.”

And just like that the tension broke like rain on a muggy day and Tsunade was cheerful again. Mei was still feeling mentally raw from the assault but managed to smile at the right times until she recovered. There was a part of her that was happy Kakashi had such loyal friends. It warmed her heart to see Tsunade, who put off an air of indifference all her own, care about her successor. By the time they left the shop, Mei was feeling cheerful again and enjoyed Tsunade’s company.

That was, of course, when Guy arrived.

“Lady Tsunade! Lady Mei! It’s so nice to see you out and about!” Guy beamed at them as he rolled into view.

Just as suddenly as Guy had appeared, Tsunade disappeared. Mei blinked, looking around. Guy rolled up next to her. “Now where did she go?”

Mei scanned the crowds around them but didn’t see a trace of the woman. _Where indeed,_ Mei thought wryly. She shrugged. She’d met Guy several times and he wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle.

“Well I wanted to talk to you anyway Lady Mei,” Guy said turning serious. “May I ask you something?”

Mei nodded, not knowing what to expect. Kakashi had told her that Guy was his equivalent to Kaori. So she knew what close friends the two men were. Despite this, Kakashi had never allowed Guy to be alone with her and very rarely was it just the three of them. When she saw Guy it was usually with a fourth person or a group. When they’d only been dating for a few weeks this had been understandable. Guy could be a little overbearing. However, they’d been together for several months and there had been no movement on that front.

“What I want to know is: what are your intentions with my eternal rival?”

Mei would have laughed except for the extreme seriousness in which Guy had asked the question. His gargantuan eyebrows were pinched together in a frown and his dark eyes bored into hers. Between Tsunade and now Guy, Mei was feeling overly scrutinized. “I-um-”

“Because you have been together with Kakashi for some time and although he has kept us apart it was only a matter of time. Not just anyone can date my rival! Therefore, I challenge you to a contest to see if you are worthy of him!”

Mei blinked away the flash from Guy’s smile. “Um-”

“I’ve thought long and hard about what contest we could do. I obviously couldn’t keep up with your bloodline limits. A straight footrace would be unthinkable considering my superior speed.” Guy quickly rolled forward and back in his chair to prove his point. “We could race around the village on our hands but I’m afraid my upper-body strength is naturally more inclined for such a contest. But then I settled on it, a race through the village!” Mei was barely keeping up with the stream of talk and just nodded as he went on. “There are so many obstacles throughout the village that my superior speed would be curbed! Do you accept?” Guy’s face had been joyous as he listed off the various options but at this point he became serious again.

Mei looked around but no one seemed to be paying them any mind. She turned back to Guy and said solemnly, “I accept.”

“For the right to date my eternal rival?”

“Yes.” And Mei was going to give it all she had. This was the second time someone close to Kakashi had challenged their relationship today. There would not be a third.

00000

Meanwhile, Naruto and Kakashi were walking through the market district. “Tsunade didn’t say specifically where she was going to take her, so I assumed it was her usual ‘tea shop’,” Kakashi explained. “But they weren’t there.”

“Don’t worry sensei, we’ll find her,” Naruto said when a shout interrupted him.

“You think taking to the roofs will help you?!” This was followed by a booming laugh.

Two blurs on the rooftops shot past the street corner Kakashi and Naruto were occupying. The one’s Seventh Hokage cloak fluttered in the resulting breeze. “Was that-?” Naruto began.

Kakashi squinted after the two figures, whether to see who it was or in anger, Naruto wasn’t sure. “Yes,” he said and took off after them with Naruto on his heels.

00000

Mei had immediately taken to the rooftops to avoid most of the foot traffic. However, this advantage had quickly proved disadvantageous when Guy simply rolled his chair up a wall and onto the roof as well. His chakra control had improved even more with his new training regimen.

Guy was right; he was fast and quickly gained on her. This was when Mei decided to create some obstacles. Mud slicks and small waves, it only took six inches of fast-moving water to wash away an adult human, began appearing behind her. This was answered by fireballs that boiled the water away or turned the slicks into earthen walls that became ramps to propel Guy forward.

Soon they had passed through the village and were met by the rock face of Hokage Mountain. The agreed finish line, Kakashi’s nose, loomed above them. Mei reached the cliff face first and began running vertically up it. Guy, not far behind, abandoned his chair and immediately began scaling the rocks with just his chakra coated hands. They were going for broke.

A thin layer of sweat broke out on Mei’s face but she was not going to lose! Kakashi had made it clear that his and Guy’s competitions were just in good fun. However, Mei wanted to earn the respect of Kakashi’s friends. She did not want them to give her a pass simply because she was the Mizukage. She was in this for the long haul. If racing up a cliff side or receiving threats from two of the legendary three was what she had to put up with, then she’d do it.

Mei’s feet ate up the stretch of stone above her. She could practically feel Guy clawing at the rock at her heels. With a burst of chakra, Mei threw herself over the outcropping of Kakashi’s mountain nose and…nearly bowled Naruto over.

The sitting Hokage backpedaled to get out of Mei’s way and Kakashi caught her in his arms, steadying her. Mei went from shocked to embarrassed to self conscious in the space of a second. She had a light layer of sweat all over her and she knew her hair must be a tangled mane down her back. She tried to push back from Kakashi so she wouldn’t get him dirty but he held her firm, not looking at her.

For a split second Mei’s battle instincts kicked in. The wind blew through her hair and it occurred to her that from this position, Kakashi could throw her off of the mountain and she’d have no way to break her fall. However, the trust they’d built over-road her kneejerk reaction and she forced herself to relax. Kakashi was holding her to ensure her safety, not crushing but firm. He was not trying to wrestle away her control. His eyes were on the tip of his rock nose that Guy was scaling. The Hokage’s face was set halfway between bored and annoyed. Mei waited.

“Guy, what is this?” Kakashi asked calmly.

Guy sat himself on the rock. He was only slightly out of breath. He opened his mouth to explain but Mei spoke up. “That’s between Guy and myself actually.” Guy locked eyes with her and nodded, admitting her victory and the terms of such. Kakashi was not going to hear about this from him.

“Is that right,” Kakashi asked suspiciously, looking at Mei. “Because it looked like you two were participating in a challenge.”

“Did it?” Mei countered breezily, still panting a little. She gave him nothing.

Kakashi switched gears and turned to Guy. He pouted, “have you found another rival? Is that it? Guy, I’m hurt.” Guy did not take the bait, his face like stone. 

Kakashi sighed. This is what he got for dishing those kinds of silences and non-answers out to people all his life. Now Mei did it to him, frequently, and Guy was getting the hang of it.

Naruto cleared his throat. “Why don’t we table this for later? We’ll all wash up and then meet at my house for dinner?” This was agreed upon as acceptable. Guy slid back down the mountain. Naruto teleported home to tell Hinata and to help with the preparations.

Left alone, Kakashi looked at Mei closely. Her sweaty skin had dirt from the mountain clinging to her in places and her long vibrant hair was wild and wavy from her run. She looked gorgeous.

She smiled up at him. “What are you thinking?”

Kakashi shrugged, “mah, just wondering what you were doing all day?”

Her smile turned secretive. “How about I tell you after dinner?”

00000 

Later in Kakashi’s Hokage apartment, Mei told him the story. The sun had long since set and they stood together in the semi-darkness of the dimly lit room.

“She left you alone? With Guy? I’ll kill her.”

Mei thought back to the conversation she and Tsunade had had in the tea shop. She hadn’t told Kakashi about it and had no intention of doing so. “I’d let it slide, just this once.”

Kakashi frowned down at her but nodded. “If you say so. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“It’s nothing. Actually it was kind of fun. It’s been a very long day though,” Mei said, leaning into him. She breathed in his scent and closed her eyes. They held each other close for a moment. She looked up at him and smiled, “but it’s better now. And we still have all weekend.”

Kakashi agreed with a thoughtful hum. He began rubbing circles on her back absentmindedly. Mei sighed and laid her head on his shoulder again, relishing the closeness. After a moment Kakashi’s hand stopped moving, resting on the small of her back. He leaned his head forward and whispered in her ear.

“Marry me.”

Mei’s head jerked up a bit. She turned to look him in the eyes. “What?”

“Marry me,” Kakashi repeated. It was a request, a plea, rather than a demand or even a question. The arm that had been around her shoulders withdrew so his hand could wipe a lone tear from her cheek. Mei began to tremble in his arms, just the slightest of tremors as she nearly burst into tears. The tension between them rose as Kakashi waited for her answer.

With a start Mei realized that she hadn’t said anything. She looked up into his blurred face, smiling through her tears. “I will,” Mei whispered back, voice nearly breaking. She quickly added, “if you’ll have me.”

Kakashi snorted, almost laughing, “I asked you.” He pulled her to him and kissed her. It was long and deep and urgent. It laid his feelings out as if Mei had been reading them on a page. He’d carried this with him all week. He’d been upset at the delays and worried about it through the meeting. He was excited to ask but afraid of her rejection. Then she hadn’t said anything right away and started crying.

She kissed him back, reassuring, reminding him of her love, their love. The life they’d discussed building together, all of the late night talks about the future, had never before seemed so real as in at that moment. The two to become one held each other and savored the joy of the moment.

When they finally drew apart Mei put a hand to her chest. She laughed, “I can barely breathe.” Kakashi reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, not wanting to part from her. “Oh Kakashi I’m so happy!” Mei wiped more tears from her eyes, unable to stop smiling. “I need to sit down.” She reached out for the nearby bed and Kakashi followed her there.

Once they were both seated Mei put her flushed face in her hands. “I can’t believe this is happening.” Then she stopped, a thought occurring to her. “I have to write Kaori, right now.” She attempted to stand but actually swayed a bit and Kakashi pulled her back to her seat.

“Calm down, write her tomorrow.” Kakashi smiled, “who knows? You may sleep on it and decide you don’t want to get married.”

Mei looked at him incredulously. “Not likely.” She slapped him playfully. For a moment they sat there, each catching their breath. They were both excited and felt like they had a million things to do but didn’t want to start any of them just yet. “What do we do now?”

“Sleep, if we can,” Kakashi suggested. “And tomorrow we’ll do what we have been doing. The difference being that we’ll also be officially planning a wedding.”

Mei’s eyes got huge. “Oh the wedding!” She almost stood up again but Kakashi held her down with a hand on her arm.

“We’re both tired and you’re going to pass out any second. Calm down.” Kakashi stretched out on his bed as way of example. Mei nodded and followed suit. When she shifted over to be closer, Kakashi wrapped his arm around her so she was pillowed on his chest. As he’d predicted, she fell asleep within seconds.

Kakashi stared at his ceiling, a warm glow filling him up. He smiled a little and disbelievingly whispered to the room, “she said yes.” 


	27. The Wedding

In a guest quarters addition to the Mizukage Tower, two separate groups, along with the whole of the Elemental Nations, prepared for a celebration of union.

“You look beautiful Lady Mei,” Sakura gushed as she adjusted Mei’s short veil one last time. Hinata silently agreed from a corner of the room.

Mei’s dress was strapless and all white reaching right to the ground. It was adorned with roses at the sheath waist and around the neckline. Her mane of auburn hair was held back by the comb that also secured her white veil. Mei turned around, admiring how the dress fell around her. 

“Please Sakura, just Mei at least for today hm?” Mei said looking up, smiling. Her green eyes glittered behind her bangs.

Tsunade smiled from the corner in her own finery. She had her arms crossed and was leaning against the wall. “Sakura, I don’t seem to remember you fussing this much at your own wedding.”

Sakura glanced over her shoulder and smiled, biting back the barb that almost leapt off of her tongue. Instead she said, “as long as Lady Mei doesn’t mind-”

“I’m going to mind if you don’t stop calling me Lady Mei,” Mei said smiling dangerously this time.

“Now now Mei,” Kaori said laughing, “no need to threaten or I’ll tell these ninja about the time that you broke into my father’s shop.” Kaori was a tall, thin kunoichi with blonde hair perpetually in a low ponytail. She was a soothing wind compared to her friend’s seething lava.

Mei spun on a dime, facing her childhood friend and leveling her glare at the tall blonde instead.

Kaori, however, just grinned. She was already stepping out of the room and saying, “I’ll go see how the boys are doing.”

000000

“Senpai you need to stop pacing,” Yamato said anxiously.

“Huh?” Kakashi said, looking up. His eyes were wild and wide as if he’d been rudely woken up. Guy, Sasuke, Naruto, and Yamato looked back at him. They were all wearing matching black suits. Mei had vetoed the orange suit that Naruto had picked out. The Seventh Hokage had pouted for a week.

“You’ve been pacing for the last half hour,” Sasuke assisted from his corner.

“Have I?” Kakashi asked. His voice was slightly breathless and far away. He ran his hand through his hair.

“I don’t even know why you’re nervous sensei,” Naruto burst out cheerfully. “It’s not like Mei is going to run out on you.”

“Right,” Guy said, backing Naruto up, “it’s more likely she’d kill you if she even thought _you_ were thinking about running off.”

Kakashi ran his hand through his hair again. He kept tugging at his collar. The suits were uncomfortable and difficult to move in. However, since Kakashi hadn’t had a preference on what he’d wear to the ceremony, Mei had gotten to choose. The retired Hokage couldn’t help but feel that weapons were almost impossible to conceal in clothing so tight.

“Look senpai, if you keep this up you’re going to have to shower again,” Tenzo said trying to be reasonable. “You’re getting all worked up-”

“You think so?” Kakashi asked. He looked up quickly.

“Wait, what?” Yamato said confused, just as Kakashi dashed off to the bathroom. In seconds they could hear the shower running, again. Yamato sighed. “That’s what he latched onto?”

Someone knocked on the outside door and hearing no protestations, Kaori opened the door and stuck her head in the room. “Everything okay in here?” She asked. 

“Just sensei freaking out for no reason,” Naruto said from his seat in the room. He was shaking his head and smiling in a gentle way that made him look even more like his father.

Kaori smiled in return and nodded in satisfaction before closing the door once more.

“I don’t know what he’s nervous about,” Naruto repeated. “They love each other, they’re getting married, it’s simple! I wasn’t nervous at all when I married Hinata!”

Sasuke leaned over toward Yamato and whispered, “Sakura told me that Hinata fainted six times while the girls were helping her get dressed for their wedding.”

Yamato flopped down in a chair next to Sasuke and washed his face with his hands. “Seeing him like this is making _me_ sweat. It’s not like this is some S-rank mission!”

“That’s because if we _were_ on a mission he’d be calm,” Sasuke commented louder than before.

“That’s it,” Guy and Naruto cried out at once. Naruto jumped up in triumph.

“No,” Yamato and Sasuke retorted immediately. Naruto dropped back into his chair at the rebuff. 

Yamato continued alone, “the bachelor party was bad enough.” The wood style user glared at Guy.

“Is it time?” Kakashi said frantically, emerging from the bathroom freshly showered and dressed. His eyes were still wide but now his hair was damp and drooping.

“No,” the groomsmen cried in frustration together. Yamato looked like he wanted to pull out his hair.

“Sensei, come here,” Naruto said, getting up and steering Kakashi to a chair with his good hand. Sasuke was right behind him. Once Kakashi was seated his two male students stood before him, arms crossed.

Kakashi looked between them, confused. He opened his mouth to speak but Naruto cut him off.

“Remember what you told me when I married Hinata?” Naruto asked, uncharacteristically patient.

“And when I married Sakura?” Sasuke added.

Kakashi looked between them, his eyes narrowing. His eyes focused on Sasuke. “I told you that if you hurt Sakura again, Naruto and I were going to-”

“Not that part,” Naruto and Sasuke yelled together. Naruto was frustrated, Sasuke embarrassed.

“Boys, let me try,” Guy said, surprisingly serious. He pushed the boys aside, rolling himself right in front of his rival. “Kakashi, it’s my duty to tell you that you’re being irrational.” Kakashi looked up, eyes serious. Guy was pleased to see he had his friend’s attention. “You need to calm yourself and get your head together. I don’t want to go so far as to call this a mission but this _is_ a mission, for Mei.”

Kakashi’s eyes steeled under his furrowed brow.

“Do you love her?” Guy continued.

Kakashi looked at his friend, “you know I do.”

Guy backed away quickly and gave him a thumbs up, “then get out there and marry the girl!”

Kakashi smiled under his mask and stood, filled with new resolve. Stripped down to the bare essentials, this was just about himself and Mei being in love. When you took away the politics of who to invite, the planning, the pomp, that’s all it was. He and Mei were getting married. That made it extremely simple. 

“The wedding doesn’t start for another twenty minutes,” Yamato whispered to Naruto.

Naruto whispered back, “don’t ruin the moment Captain Yamato. They’ll race around the building or something.”

Fifteen laps later the groom and his men were assembled and ready to go. Yamato checked in with the perimeter guards and made sure Sai was in position. They were ready to start. The bride, however, was not.

Kaori approached the party. “Kakashi, she’d like a meeting.”

No one had to ask who “she” was. Dread filled every heart but Kaori’s and Kakashi’s. He knew Mei too well, it wasn’t what they feared.

Coming to a corner that Kaori led him to, Kakashi waited until he heard Mei, from around the other side of the corner, say, “could you give us a minute?”

Kaori smiled and nodded at Mei, retreating down the hallway back to the worrying groomsmen. This way Kakashi and Mei could talk around the corner without seeing each other.

“Everything alright?” Kakashi asked his hidden wife after the silence had gone on too long for his comfort.

Mei burst out, “oh Kakashi I’m so nervous!”

Kakashi smiled, glad that Guy had helped pull him together only moments before. He couldn’t help her if he was a wreck. He reached out and offered his hand around the blind corner. Mei, startled at first when she saw it, clasped it between both of her hands and held it to her face.

“Nervous excited, second guessing this nervous, or just nervous in general?” Kakashi asked lightly. The grip on his hand tightened.

“I’m not second guessing marrying you,” Mei said quickly. “It’s just the formality of the whole thing, all these weeks and months of planning coming down to this one day. I’m just feeling the weight of it all.”

Kakashi squeezed her hand. “It’s just one day Mei.”

Mei blinked. After a moment she said, “I just said that.”

Kakashi chuckled. “No, I mean, in the overall summary of our relationship, our marriage, this is just one day in that.” He paused and let her absorb his words. “I want to spend every day with you. I want to live and work with you by my side. In the grand scheme of us being together for the rest of our lives, one day isn’t that much of a concern even if it’s a very special day. Don’t you think?”

Mei nodded but Kakashi couldn’t see it. She hugged his hand and nodded so he could feel it instead. The bride-to-be felt that if she spoke, she’d burst into tears and spoil her makeup. 

Mei’s touch soothed him and Kakashi sighed happily. He leaned his head against his wall. “Today is just the beginning. And I can’t wait to acknowledge to everyone that we are joined forever. Shall we?”

Mei held back her tears but kissed Kakashi’s hand. She couldn’t speak so she nodded her head again. He smiled in response.

As if she’d been waiting in the wings for this moment, Kaori rounded the corner to collect Kakashi. Mei reluctantly relinquished her groom-to-be’s hand and returned to her maids and matrons, a contented smile on her face.

“How do you always know what to say?” Kaori said, steering Kakashi through a route that Mei wouldn’t intercept.

Kakashi almost burst out laughing but cut it off so it sounded more like a bark. “Believe me, I don’t. I have several students, heads of state, and colleagues who will attest to that.”

The friend smiled knowingly. _Nobody’s perfect, but you, Kakashi, are perfect for her._

Shortly after Kaori rejoined the ladies the ceremony began. Sasuke led Sakura, Naruto had Hinata, Yamato had Tsunade on his arm, and Guy and Kaori came last. When Kakashi and a veiled Mei came together to begin their walk down the aisle everyone rose out of their seats.

The ceremony was taking place outside in a courtyard within the walls of the kage complex. Two groups of wooden chairs decorated with white ribbon and native flowers faced a platform among the natural greenery. The wedding party and Chojuro were already assembled on the dais. 

Mei thought she felt Kakashi’s arm shake a bit but it could have been her own nerves. Her hand gripped the crook in his arm tighter and he gently pressed it against his side reassuringly. This almost made her laugh out loud she was so happy.

Mei tried to ignore all the faces starring at her and kept her eyes on Chojuro, who stood in the midst of their attendants on the platform ahead. To an outsider he looked perfectly composed but to Mei, she could see that her old friend and successor was sweating under his collar and shifting ever so slightly to dispel his nerves. She smiled reassuringly at him but then realized that no one could see her face underneath the veil. Well, unless someone had their special eyes activated. She looked at Hinata and Sasuke suspiciously. Seeing no sign of their bloodline traits she relaxed.

It occurred to her that it was funny how she was having all these random thoughts now. She briefly wondered what Kakashi was thinking about when they were suddenly there and she had to concentrate on not tripping. Her wedding gown was quite a bit longer than her usual dresses. It actually brushed the ground and made a faint swish as she walked, useless in a combat situation.

Kakashi took every step slowly, taking care that Mei didn’t stumble. She’d expressed her concerns about her long dress before and he wasn’t about to forget as they mounted the steps. When they were finally before the nervous Mizukage the ceremony began. It felt surprisingly short to Mei, who, as she’d said, had been worrying about this day and this moment for months and months. When Chojuro declared that they were wed she and Kakashi turned to each other. 

There was suddenly a wave of shifting among the crowd which, even though the majority of the assembly were ninja and quite quiet, was still enough to draw attention. The moment had come for Kakashi to kiss his bride. The retired Hokage lifted Mei’s veil revealing her smiling and blushing face. When he reached for his own mask the crowd gasped, unable to hold back their excitement. 

That was when Sasuke noticed that Mei had a hint of mischief in her eyes. He nudged Naruto to get his attention but Naruto was craning his neck to try to get an angle on Kakashi’s soon to be revealed face. His irritation at being on the wrong side to see it was clear on his face.

Sakura caught her husband’s look and frowned in confusion. Then she saw Kakashi wink at Mei. A split second before it happened it clicked in Sakura’s head what the couple was about to do.

Before anyone knew what was happening, Mei threw her veil over both herself and Kakashi. They embraced under its protective covering. There was a collective groan that could be heard all the way to the Stone Village.

A minor earthquake followed and everyone but the bride and groom looked toward the kage who were all seated in the front row. A, the Raikage, withdrew his fist from a brand new crater in the ground. “Are you kidding me?” He roared. A vein in his neck bulged dangerously. As if in mockery of his frustration, flower petals began gently falling from above courtesy of Sai.

“I really thought we were going to see it that time,” the retired Tsuchikage muttered to Gaara during the petal blizzard. 

Gaara responded with a small smile. He was observing the couple who had just emerged.

Mei’s veil was thrown back over her long, elegantly braided hair. Kakashi beamed at their guests from beneath his mask. “Won’t you all join us for a meal?”

The celebration lasted for a week but it still seemed to move too quickly for the new couple. People came and went and it never seemed like they had enough time to see, much less speak to, everyone. The both of them agreed, however, that the best part of each day was being alone again, together. After all of the hustle and bustle of each day, which they tried very hard to enjoy every minute rather than fussing over the small details that Mei had pained herself over for months, the best part was still being together, and knowing that they’d be together forever.


	28. Mei's Uniform

“I need to pick out something to wear to the next Kage Tournament,” Mei said thoughtfully. She and Kaori were relaxing in the kages’ apartment in the Hidden Mist Village. Kakashi had gone out to pick up dinner for the three of them.

Kaori frowned. “What was wrong with what you wore last year?”

Mei shook her head. “I’m stealthy enough in my dress against regular opponents, not my peers, no offense.” Kaori waved away the potentially insulting statement and Mei continued. “If I want to win I’m going to have to step up my game.”

Kaori glanced at the closet. “Do you still have your Hunter uniform?”

Mei blinked in surprise. Then she turned thoughtful. “I haven’t worn it in years, I’m not even sure if it still fits.”

Kaori sat back, pulling her legs up onto the chair she was sitting on and grinned. “Well, let’s see it then. Go try it on!”

“We’ll see,” Mei said and stepped into the walk-in closet. From the depths she called out, “I’ll still need your help with my hair.”

Kaori frowned. “No you don’t. I’ve seen you do it by yourself.” A boot flew out of the closet.

Mei stuck her head out to retrieve the wayward footwear. “I can, yes, but it works out better if I have help.” She plunged back into the walk-in closet, boot in hand. 

Kaori nodded understandingly. She never could comprehend way her friend liked her hair so long. If her own got further than the small of her back she just had to hack it off. Then a new thought occurred to her and Kaori’s eyes popped. “Mei? Has Kakashi seen you in your uniform before?”

There was a pause and then, “I don’t think so. He must have seen it in the closet at some point but never on me.” Mei stuck her head out and shared a grin with her friend.

Kaori smiled wickedly. “Oh I’ll do your hair alright. You’re going to knock him dead.” The blond went into the bathroom to retrieve Mei’s comb and a few other things. “I can’t wait to see his face.” 

Fifteen minutes later Kakashi walked into the apartment with bagged takeout in hand. He closed the door and started to say, “they were out of the rolls so I-” but he suddenly stopped speaking when he turned. Across the room from him was Mei. On her feet were black sandals with long lacings that crisscrossed up her lower legs and terminated at the top of her toned calves. They were tied overtop of dark blue pants that sheathed Mei’s legs in closed-cell fabric. Kakashi’s eyes traveled up to her torso. The pants and shirt, which were of similar material, met at a dark green belt with small pouches built into the seams. Unless the observer knew better, one might assume that the belt was for fashion rather than function. Mei’s shirt, which hugged every curve, ended in a half turtle neck that kept her warm in case her work took her into the water.

Her hair was pulled back in a hot crossed bun style. The majority of her auburn locks were pulled into a bun at the back of her head but there were also two substantial braids that began at each of her temples, traveling back on the sides of her head to meet the bun and then wrap around it. The remaining bangs that were too short to weave into the plait hung in Mei’s eyes and hid her ears as always. She looked out at her husband from behind them, her green eyes dangerous and predatory. 

Kakashi stood dumb. His eyes passed over Mei’s outfit once, twice, and thrice. With each perusal his eyes grew wider. Mei gave him a teasing smile. She parted her ruby lips to make a clever remark when the takeout hit the floor. Kakashi quickly followed suit. He landed flat on his back, unmoving.

Mei’s green eyes widened in shock and her mouth dropped open. “Kakashi?!” She crossed the room at top speed, kneeling next to her motionless boyfriend. Kaori, who had been sitting off to the side, eager to see her friends’ reactions, was not far behind.

“Is he okay?” Kaori asked. “He looks like he’s having a fit.” 

Mei was giving his shoulder a tiny shake. Kakashi’s eyes were open but blinking frequently. His head also seemed to be twitching, making his silver hair shudder with the movement.

“Kakashi?” Mei repeated when he remained unresponsive.

Kaori gently rested her fingers over his nose and mouth to make sure he was breathing. She relaxed a bit when she felt the movement of air. However, when she removed her fingers the pads were coated in red liquid. She didn’t have to smell it to know what it was but she did anyway. “What the -?” Kaori exclaimed. “His mask is soaked in blood.”

Mei’s eyes widened. “What?” Kaori got up and looked out the front door for an assailant while Mei reached up and unceremoniously yanked down the mask. Some of the blood squeegeed out of the material as it bunched up at Kakashi’s throat. The front of his shirt was also soaked through. “Kaori would you get me a towel? One of the old green ones.”

Mei’s friend rushed off and did as she was asked. Meanwhile Mei searched in a panic; that much blood probably meant a head wound. Kaori returned with the towel and handed it to Mei without looking down. She was stretching out her senses, on high alert. “Have you found it yet? Should I call some medical ninja? The Black Ops? What?”

Mei just shook her head. She was vigorously wiping up the blood, clearing it away to find the wound she knew had to be there. She had cleaned down to the front of Kakashi’s shirt when some bright color caught her eye. There was a single drop of fresh blood sliding out from her husband’s left nostril. She frowned at it, something not working out in her mind. Her eyes traveled up to his, which were now focused intently on her.

Mei leaned over Kakashi and his eyes followed her. “Hey, can you hear me?”

Kakashi nodded. Very slowly a roguish grin snuck onto his face. He said, “so, come here often?”

Mei blinked once, twice. “Wait, you,” she looked at the bloodstains again, following the pattern. “Was that all just a nosebleed?”

“I’m going to need a new mask,” Kakashi replied cheekily. Mei wanted to smack the grin off of his handsome, if bloodstained, face.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Kaori exclaimed, facing the other side of the room to give Kakashi privacy. “He’s totally fine?!”

“Well I do feel a bit light-headed,” Kakashi said, still eyeing Mei dreamily. Mei put a hand to her face, covering her eyes in exasperation.

Kaori rolled hers and said, “I’m getting out of here. Good luck you crazy lovebirds.” The click of the window latch was the only sign of her passing. 


	29. The Surge

Boar and Ox looked at their captain. The three ANBU were crouched in the lush undergrowth typical in this part of Water Country. They could hear the crashing of the surf in the distance. Wolf scanned the scroll quickly in the fading light to be sure it was what they had come for. Nodding in satisfaction, the ANBU Captain handed the scroll off to Boar who slipped it into the pouch on his hip.

“Too easy,” Ox said smirking under his white mask.

“No sign of the enemy Mist group either,” Boar commented almost to himself. He looked between his teammates. “Think our intel was wrong?”

Despite the dense foliage around them, their heads were open to the sky. Even the tallest of the nearby plants didn’t get any higher than their standing height. The sky began to sprinkle rain down on their heads. The light drops dotted their white masks.

“Or they got waylaid,” Wolf muttered. “Either way it doesn’t matter, just one less thing we have to deal with. But they may still show.” Wolf stood up. “You two go ahead, get back to the village as soon as possible. I’ll set a few traps by the pickup point and catch up with you later. I don’t want the Mist ninja following us if they do arrive.”

The other two nodded in agreement. With two skillful leaps, Boar and Ox were out of sight and moving through the undergrowth. Wolf turned back to look at the pickup point, eyeballing where he wanted to begin to lay his traps.

An hour later Wolf had finished his work and was following the trail of his subordinates. The rain had strengthened in the meantime. Wind beat the beach grass and fern leaves so that they danced. Wolf kept an eye out for anything that didn’t shift properly with each gust.

The ocean waves crashed onto the beach and nearby rocks, the wind hurling them further and further inland. Wolf followed the bush line along the coast back to their departure point rather than heading further inland. The effects of the weather were stronger along the coast but he was less likely to run into enemy ninja and had more choices of where to go. Even if fleeing into the water wasn’t his best choice in a land where the ninja specialized in water jutsu, it was still another option. Their mission required them to come and go without drawing attention.

The sandy beach that shifted under his sandals eventually turned into firm black stone. Wolf crept carefully between the rocks and stubborn plants that clung to them. He could still see the ocean thrashing against the rocks but he was far enough inland that it wasn’t a danger.

Stepping from rock to rock, Wolf came across multiple crevasses that dropped away into darkness. The fissures in the stone looked like monsters with hungry mouths and black teeth, ready to swallow him whole. At high noon on a clear day he maybe could have seen to the bottom but with the overcast skies and rain, he was better off jumping over the seemingly endless pits. 

The ferns and leaves continued to whip about under pressure of the wind. The rain beat down in huge drops, soaking the ANBU to the skin. As the sky grew even darker, thunder rolled. Wolf ignored the lightning. 

Every moment the storm grew worse, making the silver-haired ANBU worry for his team. He hoped they hadn’t started across the stretch of ocean to the mainland in this weather. In another part of his brain he started to consider options for his own shelter. He briefly wished that Cat was there to conjure up a house but then brushed the option aside with an inner chuckle. A two-story house wasn’t exactly stealthy. 

Just then, there was a great blast of wind. Wolf had to lean forward into the gust to compensate. Despite this, he still slid backwards on the slick rocks under his feet. He quickly anchored himself to the stone using chakra but before he could re-center his balance another gust of wind pushed him over completely. He immediately let the chakra in his feet dissipate so that he didn’t break his ankles as he fell. Wolf twisted around and threw out his hands to catch himself. There was nothing there to catch onto. A crevasse, like the ones he’d been stepping or jumping over, was open and waiting behind and to the left of him.

Wolf was swallowed by the darkness with only the gray sky above to show where he’d come from. As the ninja fell, he twisted in midair and reached out with chakra coated fingers, hoping to catch the wall. As it turned out the drop wasn’t far and Wolf’s fingers just barely scraped the wall of the crevasse before he landed on his feet. He instantly let his knees bend and rolled forward to absorb the impact.

Wolf of the Leaf had landed at the bottom of a very dark, wet breach in the ground. The hollow echoing of the rain and wind led him to believe that he was in a larger space, possibly a cave. The rain and runoff poured in from the gap in the entrance above, soaking the stone floor.

As the ninja straightened up his eyes caught a reflection of light deeper inside the cave. Numerous engagements under the cover of night had taught him to react to the glint of an enemy’s weapon in the dim light. He was not alone. His mind flashed through a series of scenarios, from this being a trap to the possibility of him having found a family of hermits. He froze and waited. 

“Stay there,” a calm, tired voice spoke out of the darkness.

Wolf’s eyebrows rose behind his mask. He lifted his hands to show that there was no threat meant. He’d briefly hoped that it had been his own team that he’d stumbled upon. That hope was dashed upon hearing the other person speak.

There was a shuffling sound as if the speaker was moving toward him. Wolf was briefly concerned by the direction from which the sound came. It sounded lower to the ground than himself. With only the two words to go off of, it was hard to tell if the speaker was a woman or a child. Either way the person’s voice was in the upper register. Wolf shuddered inwardly and hoped it was a woman. A female enemy he could deal with; a child was…difficult.

With the weak light remaining, Wolf watched as a woman slid into view. She used a sort of walking crouch, favoring her right leg. Despite this vulnerable position her green eyes were sharp. She held two shuriken in one hand while propping herself up with the other.

The woman was dressed in a loose shift with a rope belt. She wore no shoes. Her hair was long, dark, and twisted into a braid. Her pale skin made her face eerily stand out in the dim light. Wolf thought that his mask must be doing something similar to his face considering her reaction when she got close.

Upon seeing Wolf’s mask, the woman’s eyes widened. However, she wiped the expression from her face and held the shuriken threateningly. _Desperate_ , Wolf thought. _She knows what my mask means but she’s going to try to fight anyway, even in her current condition._

Before another word could be spoken, there was the sound of rushing water above their heads. Wolf looked up and then dodged as a surge of sea foam poured down into the crevasse. The ANBU backed up against the wall and began to climb up and out of the water using a crabwalk. Meanwhile the Mist kunoichi was desperately crawling away from the entrance. The knee deep water clutched at her garment and hindered her progress. It was too shallow to swim but too deep to be able to walk quickly. The low ceiling made walking on top of the water just as cumbersome. 

When the torrent didn’t continue, Wolf cautiously lowered himself off of the wall and back into the shallow water. He then followed the kunoichi to the back of the cave. Even though she was no longer focused on him, she could easily send her shuriken into his retreating back. Besides that he had no idea what other tricks she had up her sleeve. If she could do any water or earth style at all, he would be finished before he took two steps. 

In the diming light, Wolf could make out three other figures deeper in the grotto. The kunoichi made for the closest one. “Kaori,” the woman gasped, shaking one of the forms. “Storm surge; help me.”

Wolf didn’t hear a reply but the other form instantly propped herself up. Her head turned upward and the second figure, named Kaori, froze. “Who is that?” She immediately asked, eyes locked on the white mask with hollow eyes. The woman with the hurt leg didn’t get a chance to answer. Another set of ocean water surged into the cave. The water level in the grotto rose again, creeping up Wolf’s legs. 

The first woman gasped as the water leapt up to the level of her hip. She was propping herself up against the wall and trying to pull the other two figures into a standing position. However, the two bodies were limp in her arms and didn’t respond at all. The second kunoichi, tearing her eyes away from the dangerous mask before her, hurried to assist.

“Is there another way out of here?” Wolf asked promptly. As the sky got darker and they got further away from the entrance, night vision was minimal at best. He couldn’t tell if it was a cave or tunnel they were in.

“No,” the first woman gasped. She struggled with her light-haired teammate to hold the other two figures’ heads above the water.

Wolf immediately turned to head back to the entrance but there was another gush of water flowing in, pinning him to the stone. His mind flicked through his options until he heard something that derailed his train of thought.

“Mei?!” The woman called Kaori cried from her own position against the wall. Wolf assumed she was talking to the other kunoichi.

_No, it couldn’t be,_ Wolf thought. He mentally reviewed the profiles for the Mist team that had been sent to intercept them. The only thing that had stuck with him was that it was a hunter-nin team in disguise led by Terumi Mei. Terumi was one of the Mist’s last bloodline-limit wielders. The price on her head was high, very high. The water level surged up to their necks. Wolf could taste the bitter brine soaking into the cloth mask that covered his face. 

The kunoichi named Kaori screamed, “Leaf ANBU! If you don’t want to die, I suggest you block that hole!”

Wolf frowned, the situation couldn’t be much worse. Despite the fact that he now had to tilt his head up to breathe, he remained relatively calm. If the Mist ninja had had the ability to preserve their hiding place, they would have done it before he showed up or at least, when the cave had begun to flood. However, if he wanted to save himself he’d have to expend his own energy, weakening himself while preserving them. As the kunoichi pointed out, he had no choice.

The ANBU stepped away from the wall, the high water making his moves sluggish, and weaved hand signs underwater. He focused and began pushing the water back up and out of the crevasse using a simple water-style technique and a lot of control. The water level rapidly decreased and the four figures behind him slumped to the cave floor.

Once the water was down to a few inches around their feet, the task was to keep the new water out. Wolf positioned himself under the entrance in the ceiling as another wave flowed over, completely covering the fissure above. After that wave failed to retreat completely the pressure of the water only continued to intensify. “I can’t keep this up,” Wolf barked.

The sound of the rushing water was deafening. Wolf didn’t even hear the kunoichi approaching until they were right next to him. The one called Kaori was holding Terumi up with an arm around her shoulders.

“Step out of the way ANBU,” Terumi said coldly and weaved some signs.

Guessing what she was about to do, Wolf backed up hurriedly. Some water slipped past his water wall as he repositioned. This wasn’t a problem for a user of the lava style. The kunoichi built up chakra in her chest and ejected lava from her mouth, coating the entrance and turning the water above to steam. The lava instantly hardened, acting as a sealing door to the cave entrance. The temperature in the grotto rose several degrees but not to a life-threatening level. Wolf took an extra step back from the glowing igneous rock as a precaution.

After she was finished, Terumi slumped into her fellow kunoichi, panting. She was favoring her right leg heavily and Kaori lowered her to the ground. “Are you alright?” Kaori asked softly.

Mei nodded. The lava was losing its glow as it hardened and the light was fading fast. Wolf pulled his hip pouch open and removed an emergency torch. It was a testament to the women’s exhaustion that they barely reacted. Kaori watched him with weary eyes but hardly moved besides that. Terumi didn’t look up at all but flinched at his movement. He popped the top and lit the torch, the first round of seals activating at the tip. The glow lit up the cavern dimly, two pairs of eyes stared at his white Wolf mask.

Since he had their attention, “that’s fine for a temporary fix, but we’re going to run out of air, fast.”

“I lied,” Terumi said flatly.

Wolf blinked, his mask hiding his surprise. “What?”

“There is another way out of this cave. There are very small holes in the back that lead into a larger cavern. We’ll get air from there.”

Wolf instantly walked to the back of the tunnel, keeping a wary eye on the two slumped figures who rested nearby. He quickly found the entrances the Mist kunoichi was talking about. The largest one was the size of his hand. They were big enough for air but not for a person unless they had chakra enough to widen the hole. He had chakra but he didn’t know the way out. If he left without them or killed them he could get lost and die.

If Wolf stayed, Terumi would regain her strength, kill him, and take her team to safety. He could burrow out of the cave but taking his chances in the ocean presented its own problems. The storm had only just started and could go on for hours. The turbulent water above would most likely smash him into the rocks before he even reached the surface. Even if he had time to wait the storm out, it could take even longer for the water to recede. It was too risky to try to open the lava door sooner than that. His only option was to wait for some part of their situation to change. He was uncomfortably aware that Terumi had all the cards and she knew it.

Wolf turned and looked back at the team leader. She was even more dangerous than he’d first supposed. As if reading his thoughts, a nefarious grin crept onto her pale face. In the flickering torchlight she looked like a demon.

An uneasy, unspoken truce formed. Wolf sat at the front of the cavern near the igneous rock hatch. The Mist ninja sat in the back near the air holes. Unfortunately for Wolf, he seemed to be sitting in a low section of the cave and some part of him was constantly wet.

The continuous sound of the storm overhead grated on Wolf’s nerves. He wondered how his team was doing, if they’d made it somewhere safe.

Kaori tended to the wounded and sat down next to her friend. Finally Terumi spoke, “so what are we supposed to call you?”

It was obvious whom she was addressing. The masked ninja was sitting and leaning against the cavern wall, one leg straight and the other bent. His pale hair hung lifeless and half-dried around his mask and ears. He was looking at the floor in front of him as if his life depended on it. The ceramic mask turned and looked at her when she spoke. “Wolf,” he replied.

Mei arched an eyebrow. Her tone was bitter. “Wolf? Seriously? That’s all you’re going to say?”

“If you kill me, then later when the war ends you can tell my village that you killed Wolf. They’ll know who I am and that’s all that concerns me.” He turned to look back at the opposite wall but Mei wasn’t done.

“And if you kill us?”

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure out who you are Terumi Mei. There are only so many who can use lava style.” At this statement, Kaori elbowed Mei in the ribs. A clear, _told you so_ expression adorned her face. Wolf continued, “I’m sure the Mist has your mission record and will be able to identify the rest of your team even if I can’t.”

“If they even bothered to write one,” Kaori muttered. Mei gave her a sharp look in response. Kaori met her look with a glare of her own and the argument was put aside for another time.

After a moment or two of silence Mei spoke again, “why didn’t you kill us on sight? I must be in your bingo book.”

Wolf shrugged and repositioned himself. “Not necessary to my mission.”

“And you’d get lost in the caves and die without us,” Mei added, bringing attention to the status quo. As if Wolf could forget.

“Without _some_ of you,” he countered darkly, gauging her reaction.

“You wouldn’t dare. We’d never show you the way if you killed our village-mates,” Mei said savagely.

Wolf lifted his eyebrows, the action showing through as a tilt of his head. “You two may not, maybe. But what about them?” He nodded at the two unconscious ninja that the kunoichi had each been nursing in turn.

Mei’s bravado immediately fell flat. She tried to recover but her eyes didn’t hold the confident look they’d had before. She wasn’t sure. “They would never betray us,” she stated firmly but it didn’t ring true. 

“Just the same,” Kakashi said lightly, “we’d better start making our way out now, so that we separate before they wake up.” He leaned into the wall with a slouch, the picture of relaxation.

Mei cut him off. “And when we part ways we’ll show our backs while you still have all your strength? Forget it. We’re waiting.”

Kakashi shrugged, “it’s your risk, not mine. How’s your ration supply?” He plucked a scroll from his pouch and unrolled it for them to see. It was a sealing scroll, apparently for food, that was completely unused. The Leaf ninja had enough meals to last him weeks.

Kaori resisted the urge to lick her lips. Mei coughed to hide the sound of her stomach gurgling. They hadn’t eaten since yesterday. They’d had no chance to refill their supplies before heading out in pursuit of the Leaf ninja, only to run into more enemy ninja on the way. They were tired, hungry, and Wolf had caught them in their bluff. 

Long term benefits were in the Leaf ANBU’s favor because some of the Mist ninja may not recover at all. However, a very important short term advantage was with the Mist. “How long can you stay awake Wolf?” Mei asked, a venomous smile on her dark lips.

Wolf frowned behind his mask. He was hoping to force them into an early departure using paranoia to urge them on. However, Terumi was not so far gone as he would have liked. It was the waiting game then. “Long enough,” he replied, not wanting to seem cowed.

The hours stretched on. Wolf shifted around, trying to get the rest of his cloths to dry while they were still on him. Even when the ocean water did evaporate, the white salt and other minerals remained on his clothes, irritating his skin and aggravating unclosed wounds.

His feet suffered the worst. There was still water on the floor at his end that couldn’t drain away. He could get himself out of it by balancing on his feet in a squat but his feet always remained wet. The constant moisture chilled him in the stuffy cave. Wolf wasn’t the only one who was suffering.

Some kind of wild beast clawed at the insides of the stomachs of the Mist kunoichi. When the time came, Wolf ate his evening meal facing away from them. Mei found this odd. If he wanted to gloat she would have thought he’d eat facing them. _Probably doesn’t want to reveal who he is,_ Mei thought. _Maybe I’m not the only one with a bounty on my head._

As the evening wore on Kaori offered to take the first watch while Mei slept. Wolf did his best to preserve his energy while also staying fully alert. It wasn’t a long-term solution but the tactic had served him well in previous missions. He used food, water, and any strategy he knew to keep himself awake. He mentally reviewed many manuals he’d memorized as a child, along with some newer reading material that he didn’t dare to actually read in this situation. Changing his position every so often helped as well through the long hours. _Ten more minutes and then switch to balancing on left foot, thirty more minutes and switch back,_ he thought to himself. The time ticked away, marked by the seals on the ANBU’s torch igniting and wearing down in turn, around and around the handle. Wolf repressed a sigh of relief when Kaori woke Mei up for her shift. _Halfway there._

“He isn’t asleep yet?” Mei whispered softly to her friend. “He has to be tired; he’s on a mission of some sort. He had to have traveled at least a couple of days to get this far, not to mention what he was actually sent here to do.” Mei didn’t want to think about him being a spy or assassin much less if he’d actually arrived in a squad. The Leaf ninja they’d been sent to apprehend had been two squads. It upset her to think about how often their country seemed to be infiltrated lately. But she didn’t have time for that now and pushed the consideration aside for later.

“Every time I make a move he tilts his head, almost to show me that he’s listening and definitely not asleep,” Kaori whispered back. “You’ll see it too when it happens.”

Soon Kaori was asleep and Mei was sitting up observing the Leaf ANBU. After a couple of hours of barely moving, Mei still learned a few things. For example, when the sounds of the storm grew to such a pitch that even she could hear it, Wolf would tilt his head up ever so slightly to examine the ceiling. It was a subtle but puzzling thing. What was he so worried about?

Just as Kaori had observed, Wolf was vigilant all night. Every time Mei shifted or got up to relieve herself he’d glance over. The slight tilt of his mask was indication enough, he was watching them.

Mei knew that it would help keep Wolf awake and alert but she couldn’t help it. She began to talk to him.

“Why Wolf?” Mei asked after several hours of silence.

The white mask turned to face her. “It was assigned to me,” came the blank reply.

Mei cocked an eyebrow. “No other reason?”

There was a brief pause and then, “no.”

That one word seemed to carry so much weight that Mei was shocked. She wanted to pursue the matter but couldn’t think of what else to ask. She changed the subject. “So, what are you interested in Wolf? Since it’s clearly not money.”

She shifted her weight again to favor her right leg. It didn’t seem to pain her as it had before, Wolf noticed. Perhaps they had more first-aid supplies than food. To respond to her question he made a questioning sound in his throat.

“Bingo bounties don’t interest you?” She clarified.

“Not a requirement of my mission,” he repeated.

“But it wouldn’t hurt it,” Mei pressed. She found this man curious, if irritating. What kind of a ninja wasn’t interested in making money? If not for his village then at least for himself?

Wolf was quiet for some time, pondering. Mei remained silent while she awaited his answer. “My sensei always respected his enemies,” Wolf said quietly. “It was as if he’d rather be friends with them than fight. If he had to fight them then he’d win. But selling their bodies to the highest bidder afterward?” Wolf shook his head in disgust. The ANBU didn’t think he’d explained it very well but it was the best that he could come up with. Thinking of his sensei made him feel very serene. He suddenly wanted to sleep very badly and spent the next hour struggling to keep his eyes open. Meanwhile, Mei puzzled over his words for the rest of the night, ignoring the way the ANBU’s head would dip and then jerk up abruptly. 

Morning came and with it, one of the Mist ninja stirred awake. Mei and Kaori were bustling around him with water and propping the man up so he could drink. He still looked very pale and asked to be laid down again almost immediately. His eyes didn’t seem to be focusing too well because he didn’t even ask about their special guest at the far end of the cave.

It was only when the man asked for something to eat that Mei’s smile became strained. After a mental exchange with Kaori via eye contact, she reached around to her back pouch that was hidden in her baggy outfit. For a moment Wolf thought she was going to kill the man. However, all she produced was a ration bar. The man was halfway through the pressed bar when he abruptly stopped chewing. He looked up at the two kunoichi, frown on his face. “This isn’t the last of it is it? You have food for yourselves? And Daichi?”

“Of course,” Kaori said quickly. “We’re just trying to ration it so you don’t get sick.” Mei’s face was pale but Kaori’s was all reassuring smiles.

Relieved, the man finished the bar and soon after fell back asleep. His breathing was shallow but Mei was smiling at him. Then her stomach clenched. She grasped it with her free hand and closed her eyes until the dizziness passed.

“Mei?” Kaori asked but her friend waved her off. Then, biting her lip, Kaori asked, “what are we going to give Daichi if he wakes up?”

“ _When_ he wakes up,” Mei corrected. She opened her eyes and glanced at their other unconscious teammate. “I--don’t know.” Mei sighed heavily. Then, “I don’t feel well. Could you keep watch for a little while? I’m going to try to sleep.”

Kaori nodded, moving to give Mei more room to lie down. However, Mei changed her mind. “I’m going to the bathroom first,” she muttered. She got up carefully, stepping lightly on her injured leg. Kaori didn’t notice her friend’s pale face. She was searching her pack for the fourteenth time to see if there was any food she’d missed. Mei had only taken a few steps before she crumpled to the ground.

“Mei? Mei!” Kaori sprang up and hurried over to her fallen friend. She didn’t see how Wolf had twitched at the scene.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Mei repeated. She was already pushing herself to her hands and knees, eyes closed. Kaori helped her sit down cross-legged and touched a hand to her forehead.

“Mei? Do you need some water?” Kaori was very afraid. If Mei, too, became incapacitated she was finished. She couldn’t stay up for the entire night on no food. The Leaf ANBU may slit all of their throats and take his chances in the caves.

Mei accepted the water gratefully and carefully crawled to the corner they’d been using as a bathroom. When she returned she laid herself down on the cave floor. She turned to the blond, “just a minute, I promise.”

Mei’s minute long nap became an hour nap. Kaori didn’t mind. That was, until Wolf interfered.

Kaori was spacing out a bit, trying to focus her tired eyes to count the endless cracks in the cavern wall, when Wolf cleared his throat with a cough. Her head shot up and she looked at the holes in the white mask. The wolf with hollow eyes was holding a scroll, a different one than any they’d seen before. “Here,” he said and tossed it not directly at her but to the side of her.

Kaori flinched away from the scroll as it landed. Despite the fact that it hadn’t exploded or produced any gas, Kaori still eyed it suspiciously.

“Open it,” he prompted, sighing.

She gave him a look that clearly asked him if he thought she was insane.

His shoulders slumped. “I’d open it for you but I don’t think you want me to throw the contents at you or get that close to your comrades. Open it.”

Gingerly Kaori opened the scroll. It was a ration scroll. She looked at the neat labels with greedy eyes but then the idea of the enclosed food soured. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

“There’s nothing wrong with them,” Wolf said flatly upon receiving her look.

“Prove it,” Kaori countered. She squashed down the hope that had risen in her.

“Pick one, any of them, I’ll eat it.” Wolf’s voice was amiable, or at least, more so than it had been thus far.

Kaori considered her options. If she woke Mei up, her friend would burn the food to a crisp instantly. Food offered by the enemy was not to be considered as such. Kaori’s stomach gurgled. But they weren’t going to last long without food. She glanced at Mei’s sleeping form. Wolf had them in a corner and was offering a back door. Why? Everything she’d been taught at the ninja academy was screaming at her to throw the scroll back in his face.

Kaori had never been one to live her life by academy standards. She chose a seal and activated it. A preserved package of crackers appeared. She picked the package up and tossed it at Wolf who caught them neatly.

The Leaf ninja examined the package. “Not my favorite,” he said dryly.

Kaori resisted the urge to roll her eyes or scoff. Still, she watched intently as Wolf began to turn. “No way, let me see you eat them,” Kaori demanded, her voice rising. Mei turned in her sleep and Kaori stiffened. However, Mei soon resettled and the Mist kunoichi relaxed.

When Kaori looked back up Wolf was still sitting with the sealed package in his lap. He pushed the Wolf mask halfway up off of his face so Kaori could see his nose and everything below it. This part of his face was covered in a different, cloth mask made of black material. _Seriously? What is with this guy?_ Before she had a chance to wonder anything else, Wolf opened the package, lowered his mask, and began to eat.

He chewed thoughtfully, working the dry crackers around in his mouth so that he could swallow. After his third cracker and some water Wolf asked, “do you want me to eat the whole package? I mean, it’s _your_ food.”

Kaori held up her hand. Wolf resealed the crackers and tossed them back to her. After only a moment of hesitation, she gobbled up the crackers with the help of her canteen.

Mei woke up to hear the words, “if the rest of these are poisoned, Mei is going to kill you.” The kunoichi blinked at her friend, then Wolf, then the open scroll which now had a second package of crackers and some dried meat sitting on top of it.

Mei shot up and then immediately regretted it. Her stomach clenched and the world appeared to be swimming. “Kaori, what are you doing?” Mei asked through clenched teeth. She waited impatiently for the room to stop moving.

Kaori gave Mei a moment to recover and then explained the situation. Mei remained unconvinced not to mention upset at her friend’s reckless behavior. “Alright,” Kaori whispered almost angrily, “I’ll keep eating and keep my strength up. If I fall over dead in a couple of hours then you can kill Wolf in a fit of rage and have his good food to eat. Then you will be able to get Eito and Daichi back to the village. I, on the other hand, will become a cautionary tale that they’ll tell at the academy about how you should never trust your enemy. Okay?”

“What if there’s something in every scroll that’s poisoned and only Wolf knows which one it is?” Mei hissed back, annoyed by Kaori’s flippant attitude.

“Do you want him to taste test everything?” Kaori spat in annoyance.

“I’ll do it,” Wolf said positively from his corner of the room.

“Why?” Mei demanded, trying to look him in the eyes. All she saw was blank darkness through the holes in his porcelain mask.

Wolf shrugged. “Like I said, your deaths are not necessary to my mission. Unless you attempt to kill me before I leave this country, that will not change.”

Mei shook her head. “We’re at war.”

Wolf looked her straight in the eyes. “Do you enjoy killing, Terumi?”

Mei was brought up short by the question. Of course she hated it, she hated it every day. However, the rules at the academy applied on the battlefield as well. If it’s her or them, she’d pick herself every time. If there were people trying to kill her, they had to die before they got the chance. She’d never before encountered a ninja from an enemy country who didn’t want to kill her on sight. If nothing else it would reduce the Mist’s military strength if she were gone, not to mention the bounty her corpse would fetch. The Leaf ninja was a curiosity to be sure.

After exactly four hours of waiting and critically watching to see if Kaori became ill, Mei ate the Leaf rations. She started slowly, working on the crackers and meat that Kaori had opened earlier and only nibbled at. She knew that they were stale, probably months if not years old. She didn’t care. It was the most delicious food she’d ever tasted. It was like solid ground under her feet after an exhausting swim. After she’d gorged herself, with four crackers and a piece of meat, they roused Eito so that he could eat. He was relieved when they held out the food to him, apparently not having lied about the ration situation.

Still, the kunoichi remained watchful of their roommate who sat quietly at his end. He’d given them food but he still hadn’t slept. They both privately mulled over what they would do when he finally nodded off but this opportunity never came. Mei watched his head nod a couple of times during her watch shift but when she’d adjust her weight his head would snap around and look at her, his white mask shining in the light. The second night he stayed awake the whole night through.

“He can’t keep doing this,” Mei whispered to Kaori when she woke to find the Leaf ninja still awake. “He can only take so much. Eventually he’s going to simply pass out.”

“And then?” Kaori asked, afraid of the answer. Despite the fact that they were enemies, Kaori had developed a soft spot for the Leaf ninja. His food had taken away her best friend’s hunger pains as well as her own. She couldn’t help the way her heart warmed when she thought of that simple action. He’d held out a hand when they’d been in desperate need. 

Mei frowned, unsure of what to say. Eito was recovering but Daichi was still unconscious. They couldn’t flee quickly but she was reluctant to kill the enemy ninja to keep him from following, or worse, killing them. He’d only spoken of his sensei’s ideals, not his own. The porcelain mask on Wolf’s face was a constant reminder that he was one of their most dangerous enemies. _If we’d been in our full Hunter gear, if he knew what we were, would Wolf have been so lenient?_

The third night during Mei’s watch it happened. Wolf got up to go to his own corner that he’d designated as the bathroom. Mei turned to watch him come walking back. She’d done it several times before, making sure that he didn’t make a run at them. There was no warning. He didn’t trip or stumble. Wolf simply fell forward without a sound and landed face-first on the damp stone floor. He didn’t move. Mei’s eyes popped.

Mei glanced over at her teammates; they were all soundly asleep. Cautiously she crawled forward until she was next to her enemy. She nudged his foot, then hand. When she received no reaction she reached up and carefully put her fingers to his neck and felt for his pulse. She couldn’t believe it. There she was, a Mist Hunter with her hand on a Leaf ANBU’s bare neck and she was doing nothing but feeling for signs of life! The absurdity of the situation made her want to both laugh and scream.

Wolf’s pulse was strong under her fingers, his breathing deep. For the first time Mei looked at him, really looked at Wolf not as a faceless ANBU, but a person. A person who had shared his food with a starving enemy. A person who had a family and friends and a history. A person who chose not to end her own personal history even though it would have been better for his country’s war effort and his own personal gain. A person who was now lying completely defenseless before her.

He was kind of skinny, Mei noted suddenly. Then she mentally edited lean in for the word skinny because she could tell he was well muscled, built for speed and assassination. He had pale hair that she’d at first assumed was white or possibly a graying blonde. However, his muscle tone and the skin she could see implied that he wasn’t very old, possibly around her age. She smiled sadly. If he’d been in her grade at the academy she would have killed him without a second thought.

Mei stood, decision made. She walked over to where her team was sleeping and began gathering up their things. While she was at it she shook Kaori awake with a free hand. Kaori sat up, blinking at her. “Get up, we’re leaving.”

00000

Hours later, Leaf ANBU: Wolf awoke on his side, alone, in a stone cave. He started up, panic and adrenalin flooding his system. He looked around but there was no one else to be seen. The Mist ninja were gone and there was a human-sized hole in the wall at the back of the cave. Next to his bedroll, which he’d been sitting against for the past few days, was a note. It simply read, “Wolf, follow our scent.”

After considering the note for several minutes and wondering if it was a trap, Wolf summoned his ninja hounds. They all cautiously ventured into the vast system of caverns through the new hole in the cave wall.

Sure enough, the Mist ninja’s scent was easy to follow. Pakkun looked back at his master as they followed the trail. “I thought you said these Mist ninja were Hunters?”

Wolf nodded.

Pakkun grunted, “careless of them. There’s hair and all sorts of things littering this path. They may as well have put up signs. A pup could follow this.”

Wolf grunted but said nothing else, considering Pakkun’s words. They continued to be cautious but ran into no traps or obstacles. Eventually their path became very steep and narrow. “You’d better go for now,” Wolf said. “I’ll call you if I need you. Thanks.”

Pakkun grunted and they all vanished in clouds of smoke.

Crawling through the last of the cave, Wolf was greeted by only the afternoon sun and sweet, fresh air. He was further inland in a dense forest. He stepped out into the light, breathing deeply through his two masks. Then Wolf set to work looking around the exit for clues to the whereabouts of the Mist ninja but the trail stopped dead at the exit. They were gone without a trace.

Something about that made Wolf smile but he kept it on the inside. Deciding that searching them out would be fruitless, he took his bearings and headed for the coast. He had a village to return to and a very interesting report to write. 


	30. Shikamaru's Inquiry

It was late. The new moon had risen hours ago leaving the night darker than usual. The Sixth Hokage sat alone in his permanent apartment inside of Hokage Tower. It was across the hall from Tsunade’s apartment and downstairs from Naruto’s. Kakashi looked out the window briefly before cracking it open and stepping out onto the rooftop.

The Sixth Hokage took a deep breath of the night air. He should have smelt the cool evening on the breeze or even the earthy smell of the woods. All he smelled was her. _What was she doing right now?_ He shook his head, trying to clear it.

With two light steps he jumped off of the building and to the ground. Upon landing he stood up and pocketed his hands as if nothing had happened. He began to walk down the street, familiar even in the darkness. The stores were closed up and lights put out for the night but it was still his village. A few people hurried along here and there, heading home from a late night or going to work early. No one spoke to him, his identity hidden by the night. That was fine, Kakashi wasn’t sure he could maintain a coherent conversation anyway.

The Sixth Hokage wandered here and there, not concerned about where his feet took him. He tried to observe the world around him but his thoughts constantly strayed back to her. He’d look at the leaves on the trees and they’d become the depths of her eyes, drawing him in. The babble of a stream became her laughter in his ears. He’d blink and realize that he’d been staring at a red flower for an unknown period of time, trying to remember exactly what her hair smelled like.

Her long locks were subtly fragrant, like a flower, but they also smelled like sunshine somehow. Then underneath both of those was the intoxicating scent of her. The combined smell was difficult to pinpoint. He shook his head and continued on, willing his heart to slow down. 

A few minutes later, as the gravel under his feet crunched rhythmically, Kakashi felt another ninja nearby. He glanced up and over. Shikamaru was sitting on the rooftop of his house, eyes on the stars. The younger ninja glanced down and then stretched. Kakashi was not surprised at all when the young man teleported to his side. “Mind if I join you Lord Hokage?” The ninja asked, hands in pockets.

Kakashi exhaled. “I’ve told you before Shikamaru, call me sensei. You used to do that you know.”

The Nara shrugged. “Mind if I join you Sixth Hokage-sensei?”

Kakashi sighed at the Nara’s cheek but he nodded. The two continued down the road together, not saying anything. After awhile the Hokage realized that he should probably address his companion and dragged his thoughts away from Mei. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“Not tonight,” Shikamaru said. “You?”

Kakashi shook his head.

Shikamaru considered why the Sixth Hokage couldn’t sleep. It could be any number of things but one sprang unbidden to his mind. He’d been meaning to ask Kakashi about it anyway. The dark-haired ninja looked up and down the deserted streets. Now was as good a time as any. Considering how to approach the subject, Shikamaru just decided to jump right in and be frank with his sensei’s old friend. “Are you not sleeping well because you’re thinking about her?”

For Kakashi the world seemed to stop. He was surprised to find that he’d actually frozen in his tracks. Shikamaru, astonished at the reaction from the normally unflappable man, kept walking a few steps before stopping and turning back. “Who?” Kakashi asked, attempting to reclaim his calm.

“The Lady Mizukage, Terumi Mei,” Shikamaru said plainly.

Kakashi stiffened, hands clenched inside of his pockets. _Where had he slipped up? What had he missed?_ Not trying to hide it, Kakashi asked, “how long have you known?”

“I began to suspect after the incident at Naruto’s coronation,” Shikamaru said. “After discussing it with your students, my suspicions were confirmed.”

“What did they say?” Kakashi burst out before he could restrain himself.

Shikamaru shrugged, “that when the Lady Mizukage’s house burned down you all but jumped at the chance to see her again.”

Kakashi’s shoulders slumped. He was never going to hear the end of either of those incidents. He’d sealed his fate of being discovered before they’d even started dating. Were they even technically dating now? He was on uneven ground; he felt his position shift every time he so much as spoke to her. Feeling strangely open now that he’d been found out, Kakashi said, “I can’t stop thinking about her.”

Shikamaru rarely smiled but he did now. It was a small upturning of his lips. The expression slid away as easily as it had come as the jonin turned thoughtful. “In the long term it could get complicated.”

Kakashi nodded. “We know.” Then, “you’d know all about that wouldn’t you?”

The Nara nodded as well, thinking of his own young family. “Gaara and Naruto are never going to be enemies. I don’t think there’s a force that exists that could turn them against each other. It’s a bit safer for us. The Mist though, that could get problematical. How well do you know Lord Chojuro?”

Kakashi shrugged, “he was part of the Feudal Lord’s detail during the war. I didn’t interact with him much then and now it’s only through Mei. She trusts him without reservation.”

After a moment of contemplation, Shikamaru spoke again. “There’s been some talk about mixed-village children being raised as members of the Allied Forces exclusively. Temari and I are not the only ones who’ve been struggling with the problem of which village our child will serve,” Shikamaru said. “Not to mention the clan politics involved.”

Kakashi held up a hand and stopped. “Children? You think we’re going to have children?” His heart was beating fast just thinking about it. Him? A father? He dismissed it. _I’d make a terrible father._

Shikamaru shrugged, releasing the tension. “It’s just a hypothetical idea, not an accusation. It’s something you’d have to think about if things got more serious.” He let that thought hang in the air. That consideration alone made Kakashi’s insides wriggle. “If it does, you know where to find us.”

Kakashi nodded absentmindedly. He stared off into space. “Any man would be lucky to have Mei as a wife.” Kakashi had said it so softly that Shikamaru wasn’t sure if the statement was meant to be heard by him.

The Nara remained silent and also looked up at the stars. They were particularly bright with no moon out-shining them. “Love,” Shikamaru said, “can be like a star. It’s sometimes easier to see if you’re not looking directly at it.” Hands in pockets, Shikamaru turned and said, “Temari will nag me if she wakes up and I’m gone. Goodnight Kakashi-sensei.”

Kakashi continued to look up at the stars, acknowledging the young ninja with a quiet, “‘night.”

As he contemplated the heavenly bodies, Kakashi thought about how, even though they were far apart right now, he and Mei were living and sleeping under the same stars. The thought gave Kakashi comfort. He quietly walked home and went to sleep. 


	31. Night Out in the Land of Fire

Mei skipped back to the hotel. She was toting multiple shopping bags but she didn’t notice the weight. Her steps bounced as she hurried down the road.

Around her on the city streets, lanterns were being hung or set into place by civilians and ninja alike. The civilians used long poles to place the higher decorations. Ninja were walking perpendicular to the ground on the sides of buildings to guide the loops on each piece to their hooks. Long colorful banners swooped across storefronts and alleyways. The dominating colors were oranges, reds, and yellows but there were greens and blues as well to represent the Leaf’s bygone ally, the Land of Whirlpools.

Mei smiled at everyone whether they noticed her passing or not. She was terribly excited for the festival. It was going to be her and Kakashi’s first date out. They’d been dating for several weeks now but their encounters had always been quiet dinners, long walks alone, picnics in a secluded spot, or something of that nature. They had never before gone out in such a public way as a couple.

When Kakashi had asked her several weeks back if she’d be able to make it to the Leaf Village’s Founding Festival, the difference in venues had struck her. She’d pointed this out to Kakashi and he’d paused to consider it.

“Is it going to make you uncomfortable?” He’d asked.

Mei had been surprised and then laughed. “No, of course not, it’s just we’ve never been so open about our relationship before. We might even have to hold hands where people can see us!” She’d teased him lightly, putting a hand on his arm in mock terror. He’d gently removed the hand clasping his bicep and kissed it.

Mei got warm just thinking about it and almost tripped over a banner that was being draped across the road before it was lifted. She laughed at herself, hopped over just before it went up, and hurried on.

Returning to her hotel room, which Kakashi had had to book well in advance, Mei pulled the garments from their bags and laid them out on the bed. Smiling at them all, but especially the dress she’d picked out for the evening, she dashed off to the bathroom to shower.

Thirty minutes later Mei was wearing her new dress. She had gone with green to match her eyes since none of the reds and oranges of the Fire Nation would ever match her auburn hair. It was a halter with a sweetheart neckline. The lack of sleeves had concerned her at first since her sleeves were her go-to weapon hiding place. However the flowy, slitted skirt made it easy for her to run and gave her access to her hidden leg pouch.

Checking the clock, Mei sighed and sat down on the pillow top mattress. Being raised a ninja and a Hunter besides, Mei was incredibly quick at getting ready for anything. Still, she’d over-estimated the time she’d needed to prepare herself. Even her hair, which was pulled back to cover her ears and then braided from the nape of her neck down with green and silver ribbon, hadn’t taken as long as she’d anticipated.

Mei glanced around her room. It wasn’t her own room or even Kakashi’s apartment, otherwise there would be _something_ she could do. There was nothing to clean or look at that could entertain her for more than ten minutes. She briefly thought about sneaking into Kakashi’s apartment to borrow a book, she was sure he was caught up in a meeting, when there was a knock on the door.

Mei sprang up and opened the door. Her heart exploded with joy but she only showed it through a small smile.

“I thought you might be ready early, again,” Kakashi said with a concealed smile of his own. “Besides that I couldn’t wait to see you.” He was dressed in a formal white jacket and pants. The fitted ensemble had red and orange embroidery around the cuffs and collar that looked like chains of flame. On the back, much like his Hokage cloak but smaller, were the characters for Sixth Fire Shadow. Mei would have thought it was a little over the top if she didn’t know that Naruto and Tsunade would be wearing similar outfits. When Naruto’s orange costumes had been rejected, and Kakashi hadn’t voiced an opinion, Tsunade had chosen their matching formal attire for that year’s festival.

It was strange for Mei to see Kakashi in white but it was quickly growing on her. She took his hand. “Would you like to come inside?”

Kakashi smiled but he gripped her hand and pulled her outside to him instead. “Yes,” he whispered in her ear. Shivers traveled up and down her spine. Returning to his normal voice Kakashi said, “but Hinata’s invited us over to their house to wait until the festival officially starts. I think Tsunade’s afraid I’ll be late.”

Mei sighed but stepped away from Kakashi and smiled. She ducked back into her room, grabbed her shoes, and locked the door as she left. “I’d never want to disappoint Hinata.”

00000

After a lovely two hours of eating and socializing, Hinata checked the clock for the final instance that evening. “Time to go,” Hinata said cheerfully, herding her children down the hallway. “Naruto, remember to meet us after the lighting ceremony!”

Naruto acknowledged his wife with a wave and a grin. Mei gave Kakashi’s hand a squeeze before following Hinata out the door.

Tsunade, Kakashi, and Naruto left a few minutes later, proceeding up to Hokage Tower to announce the beginning of the festival and the lighting ceremony. Down on the street level, Hinata explained the ceremony to Mei as they walked through the dark lanes packed with people. The sun had already set but only the inner store lights were illuminated. 

“Every year the kage begin the festival by lighting the lanterns all at once. There are actually seals inside of each one that can only be activated by the kage. This was Lord Sixth’s idea several years ago; it became an instant tradition. The festival ends with the release of paper lanterns into the sky. When the last lantern is no longer visible, the festival is over.” There was a loud drum roll and Hinata stopped speaking.

All eyes turned to the top of Hokage Tower where there was suddenly a single spot of light. Then all of the lanterns hanging up and down the streets came to life, lighting up blocks and blocks of the Village Hidden in the Leaves in a riotous wave of color. There was a great intake of breath as everyone marveled at the sight. Then everyone laughed, some people clapped. A merry tune was struck up somewhere down the road. The festival had begun. 

00000

“Sensei’s late again,” Naruto said, taking Hinata’s hand.

“Do you want us to wait for you?” Hinata asked, her pale eyes full of anxiety. There was a portion of her mind that noticed her children had already taken off into the crowd. Naruto seemed intent on following but she held his hand fast.

Mei waved the family off with a smile. “Go. Have a good time. He’ll be here in a minute.”

With one more concerned backward glance, Hinata and Naruto waded into the festival crowd leaving Mei alone. No doubt, she thought, Kakashi ran into someone he had to speak to or Guy challenged him to something. She smirked at that idea and waited, admiring the now-lit lanterns. They glowed overhead like strings of fireflies.

“Hello there,” Mei heard from behind her. She turned to see not Kakashi, but a Leaf ninja she did not know. He was wearing red and orange, common for the festival, so his blue headband labeling him as a ninja clashed with his outfit.

“Hello,” Mei greeted him politely with a smile. She was about to turn back around when the man spoke again. 

“What are you doing out here all alone?” He asked with a smirk.

Mei’s eyes narrowed minutely and she began to analyze the ninja’s seduction technique on reflex. She realized with a start that it wasn’t a technique, the man was simply flirting with her. Mei had been trained to recognize and use flirtation to persuade a target or throw an opponent off balance in a fight. It was as much a part of her arsenal as her shuriken, and just as impersonal. She’d never really tried to use what she’d learned in an honest social setting as this man appeared to be doing. Did the Leaf train their ninja in a similar way or was this man making it up as he went? She made a mental note to ask Kakashi later. Despite realizing this, Mei continued to observe this behavior.

The man stood a little farther than arm’s length away from her. Whether this distance was to politely give her space or just a ninja’s instinct, she wasn’t sure. “I’m waiting for someone,” Mei said evenly.

“Oh?” the man said smiling. He switched his weight from one foot to the other lazily, feigning confidence. “How could their attention possibly be diverted?” He gave her a quick once-over.

“He’s very busy,” Mei said, raising an eyebrow with a smirk. _This was going to be good._

Out of the corner of her eye, Mei could see another Leaf ninja, this one in various shades of yellow, hurrying over to them. His eyes popped when he saw her and he rushed to the other man’s side.

“I’m Asa by the way,” the ninja in front of Mei said just as his friend rushed up to him. The second man grabbed Asa’s arm and half-turned him away from Mei. Asa yanked his arm free, more than a little cross. “Botan what are you doing? Can’t you see I’m busy?” Asa looked back at Mei and smiled to excuse this conversation and his friend’s interruption.

“Asa do you realize who that _is_?” Botan stressed, glancing at Mei with a little embarrassment but more fear. Mei was used to this and gave Botan a small smile to reassure him. The man only half smiled back with a respectful bob of his head.

“Well I was hoping to find out until you interrupted me,” Asa said, now teasing his anxious friend. “What’s gotten into you?”

Asa turned back to Mei and opened his mouth, only to hear a cough behind him. Frowning at being interrupted again, he turned around to see Kakashi standing behind Botan. Botan turned as well and forced his jaw shut. “Lord Hokage,” the two men said almost in sync, dipping their heads to acknowledge him.

Mei struggled to hold in her glee. It wasn’t out of cruelty or at the men’s expense that she wanted to giggle. It was just the amusing situation coupled with the joy she felt at seeing Kakashi again almost made her burst into laughter.

“Botan, Asa, are you enjoying the festival?” Kakashi asked politely.

“Yes sir,” Botan said and Asa echoed him. They were both smiling, pleased that the Sixth Hokage remembered their names.

Kakashi looked past the two men and instantly locked eyes with Mei. She smiled at him. _Be kind,_ her eyes said. Kakashi broke eye contact to address the men once more.

“And I see you’ve both met Terumi Mei, the Fifth Mizukage and my date for this evening?” Kakashi continued pleasantly.

Mei couldn’t see their faces but judging by the sudden pallor of their ears, both men were now deathly pale. She saw Asa’s hand twitch at his side.

“Well,” Kakashi continued when the men did not respond. They appeared to be frozen in place. “I hate to cut this meeting short but I think I’ve kept Mei waiting long enough. Good evening.” Kakashi skirted them, offered Mei his elbow, and led her into the mass of people in the street.

After a minute or two of silence Kakashi said, “they weren’t bothering you, were they?” This was Mei’s only indication of his insecurity. 

After she got over her surprise at his reaction, Mei chuckled. “No no, it was just that the poor man didn’t know who I was and his friend was trying to tell him right before you showed up. It was actually quite flattering to be flirted with. It never happens in the Mist.”

Kakashi glanced down at her. “Would you be insulted if I said your village was full of foolish men?”

Mei thought about it. “Only a little. It’s a wonder _your_ people don’t know me on sight even if they don’t know we’re together.” She squeezed his elbow and felt him relax a bit.

Kakashi shrugged. “Seeing your picture among the ruling line of Mizukage and seeing you in life,” he side-glanced at her new attire, “are two completely different experiences.”

Mei glowed at the flattery but tried to hide her smile. Seeking a distraction, she began to look around at all of the people. She’d never seen so many people on the Leaf’s streets at once.

The two kage made their social rounds greeting diplomats, ninja, and civilians alike. Walking along together with linked arms, Kakashi and Mei were met with hastily hidden looks of surprise or confusion depending on the person. Among the Leaf ninja they encountered were Shikamaru and Temari, Ino and Sai, and Choji and Karui.

Shikamaru gave Kakashi a knowing nod when he spied Mei but made no other acknowledgement of the change in their relationship. It was, to him, as if they’d always been together. In contrast, the couple could practically hear the wheels whirling in Ino’s head.

It wasn’t that the queen of the rumor mill had been unaware of the semi-concealed relationship. However, the repercussions of the couples’ revelation would ripple throughout the grapevine for weeks after this night. Sai appeared to be making a mental note as he took in their linked hand and elbow when they moved through the crowd and how closely the kage stood together when they did disengage. No doubt he’d be looking that behavior up later.

Choji and Karui simply smiled at the two of them. Kakashi tried not to see a look of distrust in Karui’s eyes that didn’t exist. Old paranoia died hard and he pushed away the idea that Lightning would be suspicious of a partnership between Water and Fire. He returned his attention to the conversation at hand in time to hear Mei ask a question about what the groups’ three children could be up to? Kakashi didn’t want to think about it and soon they moved on.

They never did see Hinata and Naruto again. Kakashi hoped that Naruto was exchanging pleasantries with dignitaries instead of playing carnival games. Trusting that Hinata would keep him in line, he pushed the thought from his mind. The Sixth Hokage glanced at his date.

Mei seemed to be enjoying the attention. She gazed around, openly taking in the sights and sounds of the festival without a care. There was the occasional surprised ninja who recognized her but for the most part the masses simply labeled her as the Sixth Hokage’s date. This would normally seem to be a demeaning title compared to the others she had but it was freeing for her as well. Having no other expectations or responsibilities attached to her besides being someone’s date was refreshing. It gave her step a lightness she rarely experienced. 

Long before they saw the gathering, Kakashi and Mei heard the sounds of drums, flutes, and several other instruments playing a driving tune. This was accompanied by cries of joy and rhythmic clapping. As they approached through the crowd, Mei could see the other women with their fiery gowns twirling and moving in sync with their equally flashy partners.

“Do you want to dance?” Mei asked, a gleam in her eyes. The music was exciting and she was so happy she felt she could just jump in with the others.

“Not particularly,” Kakashi said slowly, although he was watching the dancers intently.

Mei cocked an eyebrow in defiance even as the disappointment threatened to rise up within her.

“It’s not dignified for the Hokage to dance at the festival,” Kakashi said plainly.

Mei sighed and looked at the dancers again. After a moment of thought her face brightened. “Follow me.” She grasped Kakashi’s hand.

The dignified Hokage had been watching the dancing but suddenly he was being dragged away. “Mei?! What-”

The woman cackled as she pulled her unsuspecting date into the alley. When she was sure no one could see them, Mei’s hands flashed through the hand signs and she was surrounded by a poof of smoke. The cloud quickly dissipated revealing a woman about Mei’s height and build but who had curly black hair cascading to her shoulders in waves. She was wrapped in a ruby dress with gold beading. Blue eyes sparkled out from a tan, angular face. “Kage can’t dance, but we can,” Mei said grinning. “I’d make myself taller but that would throw off my coordination.” 

Kakashi stood there silently, considering her and the idea. Mei could see his jaw working beneath his mask as if he wanted to say something but kept stopping himself.

At the risk of sounding like a child Mei started to say, “come on Kakashi, just one dance? Plea-?” She was only halfway through the word when Kakashi’s hands flashed too fast for her to see. A cloud of smoke also consumed him. The man who emerged was in a much less formal shirt and slacks that were yellow gold. His hair was brown and slicked back. Brown eyes looked out from an olive-skinned face.

Mei’s eyes widened in surprise. Then she giggled and grasped his hand. She could hear applause from the nearby street as the current song ended. They ran out of the alley together looking like a pair of breathless youths. She squeezed his hand in her excitement and felt his grip tighten in answer. Another song was just starting up as the applause diminished. 

The new couple lingered on the edge of the circle for a few beats to get the feel for the song. Then Mei side-stepped out onto the dance floor when there was a break in partners. Kakashi was practically on her heels. She swayed her hips to the music, letting her hands flow through the air as if caught in a current of water. Mei wasn’t even aware of what Kakashi was doing behind her for the first few measures because she was just enjoying the music and how she moved with it. When she prepared to spin, Kakashi grasped her waist and turned her to him, shifting to accommodate his partner.

The pair continued to dance, unaware of their audience. They didn’t have to worry about what anyone saw them do. They weren’t former kage, or diplomats, or even ninja at the moment. They were just a pair of dancers, moving to the rhythm.

Mei could hear shouts and clapping from the crowd around them. It sounded distant to her ears. Kakashi spun her as the music grew faster and faster. Every time they touched she felt fire within her. She could hardly breathe but she couldn’t bear stopping. Then she felt the music winding up to the final bar. She spun one last time and let herself go into a controlled fall as Kakashi dipped her.

The music stopped and she was looking up into Kakashi’s altered brown eyes. They were both breathing hard but Kakashi’s bare, disguised face was smiling at her. He slowly pulled her back into a standing position and that’s when she registered the cheering. Confused, she turned around and saw the other couples and the crowd clapping for them. Her mouth dropped open in shock and her face heated in embarrassment. Kakashi was feeling a different emotion.

Now that the fever of the music had passed, the Sixth Hokage felt a familiar tickle of unease creep up his spine. Kakashi kept his arm around Mei in what he hoped looked like an affectionate, and especially civilian, gesture, preparing to shield her if need be. Turning his head, he scanned the crowd to assess the possible threat. He immediately saw what he was looking for among the spectating people and felt anxiety for a completely different reason. Kakashi’s hedged brown eyes met his student’s mismatched ones.

Sasuke and Sakura were standing in the crowd, watching the dancers. Sasuke leaned down to his wife and said, “Sakura, do you know who they are?”

Sakura was clapping along with the rest of the crowd, eyes on the dazzling pair in the dancing circle. The choreography had been very impressive, if atypical. She shook her head and turned to look at her husband with questioning green eyes. He deactivated his Sharingan eye before she could see it. “No, do you?”

The olive-skinned dancer was looking at Sasuke intently but broke eye contact to whisper something to his partner. The pair left the circle to continued applause. 

A corner of Sasuke’s mouth turned up the slightest bit. “No,” he said firmly. “I’ve never seen them before.” 

Kakashi and Mei escaped into a market that had been set up quickly in the street. It was filled with food stalls and delicious smells. “Wasn’t that amazing?” Mei gushed after they’d returned to their natural looks around a corner. 

Kakashi nodded, the small smile on his face hidden by his mask. He decided then and there that if Sasuke never brought it up, Kakashi wouldn’t tell Mei that they’d been observed. There was no reason to increase the tension between the two. They had a fragile peace as it was. Based on how Kakashi felt about, in essence, being unmasked by his wayward student, he didn’t want Mei’s memory of the moment to be mottled. Despite his own embarrassment, the remembrance of their unbridled dance would always make Kakashi’s heart glow.

“Hungry?” Kakashi asked, gesturing at the stalls. 

With all of the delicious aromas spinning through the air, Mei felt it had been an eternity since the snacks that Hinata had laid out for them at her home. She nodded eagerly and they approached a booth.

Mei couldn’t remember when she’d eaten so much at once. There was food on sticks, in bowls, in bags, and on folding plates. She and Kakashi had shared and tried one of everything. He even tried the sweets, which surprised her. When they reached the end of the market there were street games and contests.

Kakashi had warned her about how it was best that they avoid the games. For one thing it wasn’t particularly dignified, much to Naruto’s annoyance. But the most important reason was that it would simply be unfair. If it was a competition game, the other players would withdraw out of respect for the kage and thus forfeit whatever money they’d paid to compete. If it was not a competition game, the vendors themselves would allow them to win for the same reason and that was bad business. It was frankly a minefield Kakashi didn’t want to cross, hedge or no, and Mei was in complete agreement. Mei had never been good at games anyway.

People-watching was just as entertaining to the couple. They saw ninja trying to impress their dates, young couples having fun no matter the outcome, and individuals who had something to prove. There were also families, much like Naruto’s, who would crowd around one booth or other.

There was one pair, a father and mother, who were helping their daughter play a very simple game. There was a brightly painted vertical board with evenly spaced pegs hammered into it. The player received a ball and could place it at the top of the board in any position they desired. The ball then traveled down through the forest of pegs where it would meander until it reached the bottom. Where the ball landed at the bottom of the board determined which prize the player received.

The black haired father lifted his daughter up so that she could place her ball at one of the starting positions at the top of the board. The girl giggled happily as she dropped her ball and then withdrew her hand reverently to watch. The father and daughter took a step back to observe the ball’s progress with the mother. Each turn in the wrong direction and the child and parents alike were cheering for the ball to go back the other way.

Mei was engrossed, watching the family drama unfold as the ball made its unsteady descent. When it finally reached the bottom, the ball dropped into one of the side buckets. The parents made sounds of exaggerated disappointment at the outcome. The little girl frowned, swinging her left foot and upsetting the dust beneath her. The game worker, seemingly caught up in the excitement, groaned as well at the outcome. But then he smiled and, reaching into one of the many sacks of prizes he kept in the stall, withdrew a brightly wrapped hard candy.

He held the candy out to the little girl. The mother knelt down and whispered something in the girl’s ear that made her look up in surprise. Upon seeing the candy, the girl brightened and accepted the consolation prize happily. The mother whispered something else and the girl’s eyes widened as if remembering something. The cheerful youth quickly bowed and thanked the man. Popping the candy in her mouth, the girl grasped her parents’ hands that were held out to her. The trio moved on together, the girl skipping between her parents who each held one of her hands. Something in Mei’s chest ached and she looked away for a moment.

When she was completely silent for several minutes Kakashi sensed her change in mood. “Would you like to sit down?”

When Mei didn’t respond he rose the volume of his voice to be heard over the din of the crowd. She heard him the second time and nodded in reply.

Furrowing his brow in concern, Kakashi scanned around for a place to sit. There was a small park nearby and they headed for a bench among the greenery. Once they’d sat down on the stone bench Kakashi said, “have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” 

Mei nodded at the ground, fragile smile on her face, “twice.”

Kakashi leaned in to look at her but her face was turned away. He reached out toward her, jerked his hand back hesitantly, then reached out again, cupping her cheek. It felt moist to his hand and he gently turned her to face him. “Are you crying?” He asked this very seriously, eyes hard.

Mei quickly wiped her tears away. “I’m sorry.”

Kakashi was taken aback. Eyes wide, he softened his voice. “I’m not angry with you; I just want to know, why?”

Instead of answering, Mei asked another question. “Kakashi, what was it like having a father?” She’d blurted it out before thinking the question all the way through.

Kakashi blinked his dark eyes in surprise.

Mei covered her face. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. What is wrong with me?!” Her face colored, reflecting her mortification. 

Kakashi took her hands to uncover her face. He looked her in the eye and spoke tenderly. “I’m sorry your parents were killed Mei.” Then after a pause, “you can ask me about my father any time, okay?”

Mei nodded. Kakashi put his arm around her and rubbed her far shoulder absently for a few moments before disengaging awkwardly.

Kakashi leaned back on the stone bench. He spoke after a long span of silence. “My father wasn’t around often. He was given a lot of missions, sometimes back to back. When he was home he would train me or we’d read together. He’d teach me games too,” Kakashi chuckled. “I used to resent that because I thought it was a waste of time to play children’s games.” Kakashi sat forward before continuing. “I told him what I thought one day when I saw him pull a ball out of the closet. He quickly pelted me in the head with it.” At Mei’s astonished face Kakashi added, “it was a soft ball. The point, as he said, was that children’s games improved our reflexes and hand-eye coordination. If I was too good for them, then I should have caught the ball before it hit me. We played a lot more games after that. I even played some games with other children.” Kakashi trailed off and Mei realized he wasn’t going to say anything else.

“Kakashi?”

Her date glanced up suddenly as if woken from sleep.

“I don’t think I’d be very good at it, because I don’t know what it should be like, but do you ever think about having children of your own?”

Kakashi’s eyes got wide and he leaned back into the bench again. When his back hit the stone behind him, all the air seemed to be let out of him at once. He stared straight ahead for several minutes. Mei gave him time, unsure of her own answer. But she knew it was something they were going to have to discuss if they ever decided to…she banished the thought. That was too much to hope for.

“I’m going to have to think about that Mei,” Kakashi said gravely after several long minutes. “I’m a little old to be starting a family.” Mei looked crestfallen at the comment. He’d meant it just to be directed at himself but Mei had taken it as an observation on her age as well. “But,” Kakashi added cheerfully, “we’re about the same age that the Third Hokage and his wife had Asuma. So it isn’t that unusual, especially for a kage.”

Mei looked up, visibly brightening. “Really?”

Kakashi nodded. Then he turned introspective once more.

Mei remembered what he’d said earlier. “We can discuss it another time if you like. I’m sorry I picked such a bad time.”

Kakashi scratched the back of his neck, the unusual collar on his shirt irritating him. “That would probably be for the best. Let’s enjoy the festival tonight and save the future for tomorrow.”

Mei mentally eased herself down. She’d gotten herself all worked up about this, thinking suddenly that maybe she and Kakashi could have a family together one day. She should have asked him first or at least hinted at the topic. It wasn’t something she should have sprung on him in the middle of a date. 

Kakashi stood up and offered his hand. Mei took it, thinking the topic permanently closed. As he pulled her to her feet Kakashi said, “I mean it Mei, we’ll talk about it tomorrow. That wasn’t a figure of speech.”

Mei was halfway through swallowing but suddenly her mouth was dry. Several steps down the park path later Mei realized her mouth was hanging open. She managed to close it by the time they returned to the buzz of the festival. 

00000

The night went on as if there had never been life before it. The bright colors and sounds, happy people, and magical music made the streets come to life. Sadly, it did have to end. Kakashi and Mei were listening in with a group of children as the feats of the Seventh Hokage were recounted by an elder when a genin suddenly ran up to them. He was draped in lanterns but having the time of his life. He passed them out excitedly to the children and elder, round face red with excitement. That red face turned white when he saw Kakashi.

“L-Lord Hokage,” he said, attempting to bow and almost toppling over under the bulk of the many lanterns hanging from his arms and body. Mei rushed forward and grasped him, standing him upright before he fell. The boy smiled at her graciously. He handed her two lanterns and hurried on with a shaky bow at Kakashi again.

“It’s nice being here where not everyone knows who I am,” Mei commented as she handed Kakashi his lantern.

Kakashi looked back at her, a gleam in his eyes. _They don’t all know who you are, but that won’t last._

Ten minutes later there was the sound of continuous booming drums. Everyone readied their lanterns. Kakashi and Mei, among the other ninja, lit their lanterns with the seal inside. Civilians used smoldering punks that were quickly passed around or a nearby ninja would light their lantern for them. 

When the drums stopped, the floating lanterns were released into the night sky. Each lit lantern was carried high into the night, setting the Land of Fire’s sky aglow.

Kakashi and Mei stood in the street, staring up into the night sky for far longer than most. Although the festival didn’t officially end until the last lantern was no longer visible, people began to depart only minutes after the release. When Kakashi and Mei could no longer see any lanterns their eyes returned to the earth to see that the streets were mostly deserted. There were already people pushing brooms down the lanes to collect the festival litter. Mei giggled nervously but Kakashi simply put an arm around her to hold her closer. She leaned into the embrace, realizing suddenly how tired she was. It had been a long, exhilarating night.

Kakashi began walking them both back to Mei’s hotel. She allowed herself to be guided by the shoulder, eyes still closed, willing the night to go on and for her eyes to not be so heavy. When they arrived, too soon, Kakashi waited patiently for Mei to open the door. She fumbled her key for a moment but her reflexes kicked in and she caught it, the movement jerking her awake.

Mei turned to Kakashi, embarrassed at her own inattention. His dark eyes looked into hers and she instantly forgot that she’d almost dropped her key, that she was tired, and any other embarrassing thing she may have done that night. She saw in his gaze that she was the most important thing in the world.

Kakashi reached his hand up, his fingers a feather of touch on her jaw. Too quick for her eye to follow, his other hand went for his mask. As if using his hand as a guide, Kakashi leaned in and kissed her once lightly, never relinquishing the dust of contact on her cheek. Once he was closer he lingered, inches from her and Mei rose up to meet him again. His kiss was oxygen and it was perfect.

After a too short eternity they broke apart. Mei could hardly breathe and closed her eyes. Neither said anything for a moment but Mei recovered quickly, shaking the headiness off. She looked up at Kakashi, very aware of him and his dark eyes. The orbs burned into hers but his mask was back in place and his eyes turned up into a smile. “Goodnight Mei. Until tomorrow?”

Mei sighed and tried unsuccessfully to control her facial features. “Tomorrow,” she agreed, a little breathless. Kakashi turned around and began walking down the road, hands in white pockets. Mei smiled after his tall, lone figure and closed the door. In a haze of happiness, she kicked off her shoes and crossed the room. Reaching the bed, she fell into it and drifted into a deep, contented sleep. 


	32. What Happened After

The Fifth Hokage was concerned. No one knew where Team Seven was, much less if they were even alive. When the Allied Shinobi Forces were fighting united, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and Sasuke had been with them. But then the Divine Tree appeared and everyone had lost track of the reunited team, lost track of everything. When the forces awoke there was no sign of the group.

Tsunade hesitated to send anyone to look for them. If Sasuke carried out his long-held threat against Naruto then it wouldn’t be safe for any team to go looking for them, no matter how capable. Besides that, everyone was in rough shape. Even with the Healing Unit tending to the main force there was no quick cure for the general exhaustion that comes from a large battle. Not to mention the other logistical problems of a group their size staying in one spot.

Luckily ninja were naturally paranoid and everyone had several days worth of rations tucked away on their person. The earth style users were making plans on how to deal with the waste and arrangements were being made on how and when to start sending units home. The transference of information was slow and disorganized but after several hours things were settling down somewhat.

Tsunade was sitting with her fellow kage in a circle, eating some of her own rations, when Gaara suddenly stood up. “Lady Tsunade,” he said, pale eyes wide but not looking at her.

Tsunade whipped her head around and didn’t see anything unusual at first. There were groups of ninja huddled together around campfires as far as the eye could see. Some were sleeping, some eating like herself, and everyone was dirty and exhausted. As she continued to scan, her eyes traveled down until they saw a familiar ninja hound bounding around the clusters of ninja sitting or standing nearby. _Kakashi? So at least he’s alive._ Tsunade thought, the tiniest ping of worry easing in her chest. This was replaced by a new worry. _Why did Kakashi send a summons instead of coming himself? Is he injured?_ She sprang to her feet. “Pakkun,” was all the Hokage could say as the pug ran up to her.

“Lady Tsunade,” Pakkun panted, skidding to a stop at her feet. Dust rose around his paws. “They’re in pretty rough shape,” he gasped for a breath, “nearby, Kakashi didn’t want to make a scene-”

“Show me,” Tsunade barked but Pakkun was already sprinting back the way he’d come.

Although they were all interested, something in the Mizukage made her stand and hurry after the two as they flitted through the crowd. She was not alone. Gaara, whom Mei had never seen run for any reason, was exhausted but at her side, sprinting to catch up with the Hokage.

Their flight would have drawn more attention if everyone wasn’t so worn out. People who weren’t sleeping or eating were talking amongst themselves of what they’d just experienced. There were a lot of emotions to sort through.

Slowly the scores of ninja thinned and they were leaving what could only be described as the Allied Forces’ encampment. It was less of a camp and more just where everyone had flopped down when they’d been released from the tree’s hold.

Mei spoke up, “who do you think the hound meant by, ‘they’?” Gaara understood the question behind the one she’d asked. _How many of them are alive?_

Gaara shook his head in response. The group picked up the pace now that they were in open country.

The landscape had been seriously altered during the final battle. Mei shuddered to think that even after covering so much ground, they were still running inside of a crater from _one_ of Madara’s attacks. The barren earth stretched for miles, there wasn’t a plant or animal in sight. The only mark was Pakkun’s paw prints in the otherwise featureless soil.

“There they are,” Gaara said quietly. His voice stuck out among the monotonous thuds of their padding feet.

Mei looked up and squinted at the horizon. There was a small group of people directly in front of them some distance off. The figures were still in the shadow of the crater wall. It was impossible to tell who they were much less how many.

Tsunade picked up her speed and Mei and Gaara were hard pressed to follow suit. Slowly the figures came closer and were easier to see. It was difficult because at first it seemed that there were just two figures.

Mei had glanced at Tsunade upon reaching that conclusion. After only a few hours, with Tsunade worrying about them, it became clear to the other kage that Tsunade had connections to all of Team Seven. Naruto had been part of the group that retrieved Tsunade. Sakura, the female of the group, was Tsunade’s student. Then there was Sasuke. Even Sasuke, whom Tsunade had hardly even met, was made dear to her via the rest of the team but mostly Naruto. And Kakashi was Tsunade’s choice for her successor, not to mention the man simply never let her down. Such reliable ninja were irreplaceable once lost. Mei thought of Ao and repressed it quickly. _Save it for the funeral._

As the groups grew closer to each other, it was clear that the two people the kage had seen in the distance were actually four. Two of the figures were carrying the other two. Kakashi had Naruto on his back. Sakura was carrying Sasuke. All four of them looked bloody and beaten. Both young men were missing an arm each.

“Naruto!” Tsunade cried in shock. This made the blonde open his eyes and raise his head from where it had been resting on his sensei’s shoulder. Kakashi looked up as well but did not stop his forward march.

“Granny Tsunade, you’re alright! And Gaara and the Mizukage!” Naruto smiled at them making his bruised face stretch. The teen winced.

“But you’re not,” Tsunade bellowed, ignoring the Uchiha for now. Now that they were close enough Tsunade hurried forward to continue the work that Sakura had started. “Put him down Kakashi,” Tsunade barked.

Before it was her turn to be yelled at, Sakura helped Sasuke slide off of her back into a sitting position on the ground. He watched everyone quietly, attempting to look at non-threatening as possible. Mei glared at him openly. The next words spoken caught her attention however and she looked away from the traitor.

“Easier said than done,” Kakashi breathed. Pakkun looked up at Kakashi, concern in his dark eyes. The last Hatake knelt very slowly, bent forward to compensate for Naruto’s weight, his knees shaking with the effort.

“I’ve got him,” Gaara said, his sand laboriously rising to meet Naruto. The blonde unwrapped his arm from where it had been clasping Kakashi’s collarbone and slid back into the welcoming sand.

Counterweight gone, Kakashi silently fell forward, catching himself on his hands and knees. Mei made an abortive motion to help him and checked herself. _What am I doing? I barely know him._

Tsunade’s eyes flicked between the injured members of the group as she healed Naruto. She turned her attention back to Naruto’s arm. Gruffly she said, “Sakura, I assume you won’t let the Uchiha die?”

Naruto spoke up, “it’s all okay now Granny. Sasuke’s come back.”

Tsunade grunted. “Good luck convincing the other kage of that. There’ll be a long road for him yet. Until then,” Tsunade nodded in Sakura’s direction.

Receiving permission, the kunoichi sighed in relief and began to heal Sasuke once more. Sakura wasn’t sure what she would have done if she’d been forbidden to heal her teammate.

Tsunade’s eyes flicked back to Kakashi. The jonin was giving Pakkun a reassuring scratch behind the ears before the summon disappeared. Kakashi was no longer kneeling on the ground but he hadn’t risen to his feet either. He sat on his rear, legs bent, back slouched, eyes closed. “Kakashi?” He flinched at Tsunade’s voice but did not open his eyes. “Are you alright?”

The silver head bobbed with a nod but he did not look up. After a moment, Kakashi made a motion to push himself up. “I should go check-”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Sakura barked, sounding almost exactly like Tsunade. “You’ve been fighting longer than any of us, _Commander_. I’m surprised you’re still conscious.” Realizing her worry was coloring her tone, Sakura softened her voice. “You just rest a bit sensei. We’re in no hurry to get anywhere.”

Kakashi nodded and after a moment he looked up. “How is everyone here?”

Tsunade grunted as she moved on from Naruto’s arm to his chest. “About what you’d expect.” After a moment she added, “we found Yamato.”

Naruto brightened. “You found Captain Yamato?!”

“Is he alive?” Kakashi’s dark question sliced through Naruto’s like a kunai. The blonde’s eyes rounded, his mouth dropping open in fear. Sakura’s mouth was set in a grim line. Their eyes all locked on Tsunade.

Tsunade nodded, much to Naruto and Sakura’s relief. “He is. He’ll…he’ll have to be off duty for awhile.”

Kakashi nodded, only slightly relieved. _I’d be messed up too if I was held captive that long._ He shifted his weight onto the balls of his feet. “I should go see him.”

“Sit!” Sakura and Tsunade said together.

Kakashi obediently sat back down, the force of their order seeming to knock him back to his original position. Kakashi gave them both a look that didn’t quite have enough energy to be sullen. Tsunade caught his eye and did a double take. “Kakashi, what happened to your eye?”

Kakashi reached up to his face. Even though it was still sore, the new eye that Naruto had made him was uncovered. His finger traced the old vertical scar. He said nothing, thinking of Obito.

Tsunade continued, “you were finally able to deactivate your Sharingan?”

Kakashi side-glanced at the foreign kage. He didn’t want to reveal his weakness, or the weakness of his village, in front of them. If Sasuke was imprisoned, which Kakashi suspected he would be, his would have been the only free Sharingan left in the world. “Not exactly.”

Tsunade smiled. “Well you can explain, _to all of us_ , later.” She gave him a nod.

Kakashi’s eyes widened the slightest bit but he hid it away with a look of fatigue. _No more secrets from each other? I wonder how long that will last._ As was becoming usual with questions on the future, Naruto answered immediately and easily. 

“Madara stole sensei’s eye,” Naruto said honestly. “I made him a new one.”

Tsunade blinked in surprise and looked at Kakashi again. “You- you made Kakashi a new _eye_?” Her voice sounded less questioning and more incredulous. She looked back and forth from Naruto’s grin to Kakashi’s blank look. Eventually the jonin gave her a minute nod, acknowledging the truth of his student’s words. 

Naruto continued on, not picking up on the silent exchange. “Yep, it’s not a Sharingan but it’s as good as his normal eye.”

Tsunade gaped at them both in response. Then she shook it off. She’d have to deal with that revelation later. 

“Meanwhile,” Tsunade continued from the thread she’d started before Naruto’s bombshell. The Hokage turned her attention to Naruto and Sasuke. “I’d like to get these two back to the medical tents. Sakura, you could use a look over too.”

“Lady Tsunade,” Sakura began to protest but was hushed by a look from her Hokage.

Tsunade continued, “Gaara should probably come along, I don’t know how people are going to react to Sasuke.” There was the slightest hesitation in her voice before she spoke Sasuke’s name. Everyone pretended not to hear.

Tsunade turned and looked at Kakashi. He looked back, awaiting his orders. When it was clear that Tsunade wasn’t going to give him any, he spoke up. “I’ll hang back. There are other people who are worse off who need to be seen to.”

Instead of responding, Tsunade turned to her fellow kage. “Mei? Could you keep an eye on Kakashi for awhile? Make sure he doesn’t do anything strenuous.” She glanced around at the deserted area they were in. “You two should probably move closer to the main force for protection. Other than that, please, get him to rest.”

Mei nodded genially although she was slightly irritated that she was being left behind. The group made the slow trek back toward the main force together. When the first clusters of ninja began spotting the landscape, Kakashi and Mei picked a spot and sat down. _That’s just as well_ , Mei thought, _he looks like he’s about to drop_. She glanced at her companion who was panting lightly beside her. The pair watched as Tsunade, Sakura, Gaara, Naruto, and Sasuke limped away. Several ninja ran up to the group but Gaara dissuaded them with a barrier of sand.

“Your students are impressive,” Mei said in the dimming light.

Kakashi side-glanced at her then looked at his students’ retreating backs. A smile blossomed behind his mask.

“They must have quite a sensei,” Mei continued pleasantly.

The smile fell. Kakashi grunted in response to her compliment.

Mei raised an eyebrow. When she’d met the Copy Ninja before, he’d always been blunt but professional. She’d never had to interact with him in a social setting. Now that she was, she didn’t really know what to think of him.

“Aren’t you proud of them?” Mei probed.

Kakashi looked up, half lidded eyes widening the tiniest bit. “Of course I am. They deserve it.”

Mei raised both eyebrows now, giving him a look. “And their sensei deserves no credit for helping shape them?”

“Not when their sensei made things worse every step of the way.” Kakashi shifted so that he was grasping a knee, his other leg stretching out in front of him.

Mei blinked at him. His posture reminded her of something but she couldn’t think of what. She brushed the half-formed memory away, returning to the issue at hand. “Are you always this self-loathing?”

Kakashi almost chuckled but it came out as more of a scoffing noise. He didn’t answer and continued to examine the ground. The sun had almost set and Kakashi shuddered suddenly. Mei watched as he put his head down on the knee he’d drawn up. His shoulders shook again, briefly, almost as if he were laughing. Mei looked over his clothing with a critical eye. It was full of holes and tears from the battle.

Mei stared at him, confused, until it clicked. “Kakashi,” she began to make sure he was awake. He instantly lifted his head to look at her. The shadows from the sun’s fading light made the circles under his eyes more pronounced. “Are you cold?”

As if to punctuate the question, Kakashi shuddered again but it was smaller, more controlled. He’d attempted to repress it. “I’ll live Lady Mizukage.”

Mei snorted, indignant. She pulled out a scroll in the fading light and unrolled it. It was a storage scroll that was a bit frayed at the edges. The seals looked very familiar. Kakashi blinked at it slowly, his tired mind working over what he was seeing. “Lady Mizukage, where did you get that scroll?”

Mei looked up, surprised at his sudden interest. She looked down at the old scroll and a small smile played across her face. Then she frowned in thought but eventually said, “it was a gift.”

Kakashi nodded and withdrew into himself once more. Mei was surprised at her own disappointment. She’d hoped he would say more, that they could start a conversation. _Why do you care?_ The thought whispered in the back of her mind. She shoved the thought away and removed the fuel from the scroll. With a quick fire jutsu, Mei lit the kindling and slowly added bigger pieces of wood.

The fire seemed to give Kakashi new life. He stared at it greedily and held his hands out to it. The pair enjoyed watching the flames dance as they ate their life away. Eventually he retracted his hands and something in his shoulders relaxed. It was like seeing a spring unwind ever so slowly.

The Copy Ninja turned to her, as if suddenly realizing that he was in the company of a major political figure. Although he’d been doing his best to stay awake out of courtesy, he was being a horrible companion in general. He blinked. “Not that I don’t appreciate it Lady Mizukage, but don’t you have more important things to do than sit here with me? I can take care of myself; you don’t have to bother.” 

Mei, growing used to the man’s self-demeaning tendencies, said, “maybe. But we’ve discovered it’s easiest for others if you stay put. There are thousands of ninja here and if the other kage need me, I will be found easier if I stay where I was last seen.”

Even as Mei said this, she watched Kakashi’s eyes drift closed and his head fall forward. A second later he was awake again and blinking stubbornly. Mei pretended she hadn’t seen. Kakashi coughed to try to cover his jerky movements. “I suppose that makes sense.”

The jonin’s eyes started to drift shut again. Something about his bobbing head sparked a light in Mei’s head, illuminating a memory. She shook away thoughts of a ninja she’d met once that was most certainly long dead. _Thinking about Wolf at a time like this? Must be that old scroll_ , Mei thought.

The retired Hunter ninja cleared her throat and dark eyes popped open. “Kakashi, why don’t you get some sleep? You’ve been awake how many days now?”

Kakashi tried to respond but he’d honestly lost count. The days of the battle he could easily recount. The time when they were in other dimensions combined with the days he and Sakura had spent waiting for Naruto and Sasuke to be well enough to move? Those were harder to tally. His mouth opened and closed in hope of an answer but his brain was already growing fuzzy from the fatigue. Carrying Naruto back had pretty much sapped the last of his stamina.

“Hey,” Mei’s voice jarred him back to reality. “I said, ‘lay down’.”

The kunoichi was holding a bedroll out to him. Kakashi numbly took it while a very distant part of his brain wondered when she’d gotten it out.

“If I hear any news about your students I’ll wake you alright? You don’t have to worry.” As an afterthought she added, “and if I’m called away, I’ll bring you along or leave someone with you. You shouldn’t be left by yourself in your condition.” Mei tried to smile reassuringly but Kakashi just looked at her, his half-lidded eyes glazing over. He did not respond.

 _What a strange person,_ Mei thought as she watched him turn away and robotically unroll the bundle. He promptly stretched out on it and ceased to move. Mei blinked. _Is he really asleep already?_

The Mizukage crept toward the still ninja, craning her neck so that she could see the man’s face in the firelight. Every muscle was slack, the hard set of his iron eyebrows had relaxed into an almost cheerful expression. His hand twitched slightly, then his foot, as his brain went through routine checks while his body recuperated. _Definitely asleep,_ Mei thought. Then she looked at him again, turning her head slightly to the side. _He might even be kind of cute if he wasn’t so odd._ Then she blinked, surprised at her inner thoughts. She glanced around in embarrassment as if the words had been broadcast for the entire world to hear. There was no one around and she relaxed, sitting back down next to the fire.

Mei had told Tsunade that she’d keep an eye on her successor to be and she would. The kunoichi inwardly sighed at that. This was the man she was going to have to be dealing with as the Hokage for the next few years? She shuddered a bit. _Maybe I should consider retirement too._

Her mind went through several leaps of logic that are unable to be described. The conclusion she drew, however, was that if she retired she’d be admitting that she was old.

Mei side glanced at the silver haired man sleeping on her bedroll. She mentally reviewed the times she’d dealt with the jonin in a professional setting. _To be fair, he’s usually quite polite barring extenuating circumstances._ Mei’s hands flipped through some quick signs and the ground rose up behind her, creating a backrest. She leaned back, satisfied as she mentally prepared herself for a vigil. _I’m sure I’ll manage._


	33. The Visit

There was a sharp knock on the door. Kakashi looked up from the book he’d just picked up, eyebrows raised. Tenzo had arrived for a weeklong visit only moments ago. Mei and Roka were upstairs helping him get settled. Besides that, no one else was expected, much less someone who could sneak through Kakashi’s maze of seals that encircled the property.

The silver-haired jonin stood to answer but Mei was already hurrying down the stairs. She flung the door open, repressing a squeal. A familiar blonde was standing in the doorway, knapsack slung over one shoulder. The two women embraced and then Mei invited the guest inside.

“Kaori,” Kakashi greeted, “it’s always nice to see you.” Despite his warm words, Kakashi turned and looked at his wife, raising an eyebrow.

“Hey Kakashi,” Kaori said. Her tone began light but then sobered when she saw the look on the Sixth Hokage’s face. She frowned, looking at Mei.

“Mei can I have a word with you?” Kakashi said tensely.

“I don’t know, _can_ you?” Mei responded, a flicker of irritation cutting into her voice.

Kakashi sighed with a grumpy rush of air. “ _May_ I see you in the kitchen _please_?” Each word was enunciated to the point of brutality.

Kaori flinched. She’d never seen Kakashi like this before, especially not with Mei. Mei’s snap was also confusing to the kunoichi. _Had they been having a fight before I got here?_

Mei’s eyes turned toward Kakashi in a half-roll as she began to walk toward the kitchen. Kakashi fell into step behind her. The kitchen door swung shut.

With the room now devoid of either of the owners of the home, Kaori suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. She’d neither been invited to sit nor encouraged to relieve herself of her burden. After a moment of lonely silence she slid her bag off of her shoulder and left it by the closet near the door. She was removing her sandals when the sound of a high voice reached her ears. _Roka,_ Kaori identified correctly and she smiled. Then the smile faded when she heard not just the patter of the boy’s feet on the stairs, but the light footfalls of an adult ninja as well.

Her gaze shot up the stairs just as the pair rounded the landing. _Oh_ , Kaori thought as her eyes fell on a brown-haired Leaf jonin. It only took her a moment to remember the man’s name. He’d been one of Kakashi’s groomsmen but she hadn’t seen much of him since then. _Tenzo,_ she remembered, _or was it Yamato?_ Sakura had constantly confused her the week before the wedding by calling the man Yamato the entire time. Then Kakashi would call the same man Tenzo within the same conversation and no one thought anything of it.

Kaori hardly knew the man and without Kakashi or Mei there to smooth out the reintroduction the Mist kunoichi felt ill at ease. Kaori shifted from one foot to the other. She was starting to wish she hadn’t accepted Mei’s last-minute invitation to spend the week with the Hatakes.

“Aunt Kaori,” Roka burst out and leapt down the remaining stairs in one jump. He landed inelegantly and popped back up for a hug.

Kaori smiled and picked the boy up. She gave him a squeeze and blew a raspberry on his neck. Roka immediately squealed, the high-pitched sound dissolving into a fit of giggles. He kicked to get away from her and she set him back on his feet, ruffling his silver hair. “Where’s your brother?” Kaori asked politely.

Roka crossed his arms with a defiant look so much like his father’s that Kaori almost laughed. “He’s taking a nap. Only babies,” here Roka failed to suppress a yawn that split his face, “take naps.”

“I don’t know,” Kaori said mounting the stairs as Tenzo came down. “I’m a big fan of naps.” She glanced down at the hall clock, it was early afternoon. Mei had probably been trying to get the boy down for a nap when she’d arrived.

Roka shrugged and looked up at Tenzo who’d met them halfway up the flight. “You won’t make me take a nap will you?”

Tenzo’s shoulders tensed at being addressed. “I um-” He looked at Kaori and back down at Roka. “We’ll see.”

Normally Kaori was equally uncomfortable around children. It was only her familiarity with Mei and Kakashi’s boys that had brought that side out in her. She sympathized with the man and swooped in to save him. “Roka why don’t-” She was interrupted by raised voices coming from the kitchen.

“I thought we had agreed that Tenzo was coming to visit this weekend and Kaori next weekend?!”

“Well I thought it would be nice if Kaori could come too. Since you two will probably spend the entire weekend excluding me!”

“When has that ever happened!?”

“It always happens!” Mei shrieked.

“Tenzo’s never even VISITED before!” Kakashi bellowed.

Kaori and Tenzo both wore looks of surprise. Then they glanced at each other awkwardly. Kaori broke the silence between them first. “It’s Tenzo right?”

The jonin shrugged. “Or Yamato.”

Kaori snorted. “Tenzo or Yamato, pick now because I’m going to call you it until the end of time.”

His only reaction to her brash tone was a single blink. “Tenzo.”

Kaori had a sudden thought. “I could call you Yamatenzo?”

The man coughed to hide his frown. “Tenzo is fine.”

“Tenzo then, good. I’m Kaori in case you forgot.”

Tenzo’s undoubtedly polite reply was drowned out by the opening and slamming of the back door. Tenzo cringed as he heard some of his woodwork crack.

Roka sighed, rubbing his eye sleepily. “Time to go upstairs.” He began trooping up the wooden steps.

Tenzo’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the boy. Just a second ago he hadn’t wanted a nap. Kaori was equally confused but spoke up, “what do you mean?”

Roka turned around and shrugged. “Whenever Mom and Dad do that we have to stay inside no matter what.”

Tenzo continued to blink uncomprehendingly. “Whenever they do what?”

“Have an ag-” the boy stumbled over the word, mispronouncing it, “rument.”

“Have an argument?” Kaori whispered in understanding as the earth shook. She grasped the banister to maintain her footing on the stairs. Tenzo also braced with one hand on the railing, the other against Kaori’s back so she didn’t fall down onto him. After the earthquake passed Kaori looked up at Roka. The boy seemed unconcerned but she still felt the need to say, “Roka, go to your room okay?” The tired child did not respond; he was already rounding the landing. 

Kaori turned to lock eyes with Tenzo when another tremor shook the house. The windows rattled in protest. “Is this house going to fall down?” Kaori asked frankly.

Tenzo’s mouth fell open in indignation, his pride hurt. His mouth shut with a click. Then he said tersely, “no it will not.”

Kaori nodded. “Good.” There was the sound of rushing water followed by a hiss outside. Then there was the unmistakable melody of twittering birds. Both friends’ eyes grew wide and they sprinted to the door.

Awkwardly, Tenzo stopped at the door to let Kaori exit first even though he was in the lead. However, in stopping he hadn’t had a chance to open the door for either of them. Not caring to check her pace now that she was at top speed, Kaori thought, _screw it,_ and threw her full weight into the door, smashing it to pieces.

The woodstyle user stood in shock only for a moment. Doors he could replace, but no one could replace his senpai. He rushed out the door after the infuriating Kaori woman.

Outside the turf had been torn up in places. Kunai and shuriken were scattered everywhere, making the lawn look more like a throwing range rather than a backyard. Parts of the ground were oversaturated with water and nearby trees were scorched. One of the timbers was actually still ablaze. Tenzo put it out with a quick water jutsu.

“What do you two think you’re doing?” Kaori asked, voice booming.

Kakashi and Mei turned to look at their guests. Kakashi’s left sleeve was smoldering at the cuff. Mei’s hair was in disarray. “Having a tussle,” Kakashi said as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

Mei huffed out some air through her nose, glaring at her husband.

“Well knock it off and get inside,” Kaori said. “You would think you’re a pair of children acting this way.”

“If he’d just,” Mei began which set off a spark in Kakashi’s dark eyes.

“Enough,” Kaori shouted. “Inside.”

Shooting one last annoyed glance at Kakashi, Mei began to walk back to the house. Kakashi followed, his face devoid of emotion.

Kaori watched them both critically to make sure there were no more last-minute punches or jutsu thrown out. By the time the couple was at the destroyed kitchen door Tenzo had returned from his forest fire prevention mission. The blonde and brunette stood side by side for a moment, watching their dear friends with concern. 

“What has gotten into them?” Kaori said softly. She felt as if her entire world had tipped.

Tenzo did not respond. He only stared at the kage as they entered the shattered remains of the door to their home.

00000

Over the next few days things did not improve. Mei and Kakashi were polite enough to each other but it wasn’t the easy-going atmosphere that Kaori was used to when in their company. There was something simmering just under the surface that made the guests tense. It was almost as if the couple would forget about the argument for a few seconds but someone’s smile would sour and then they’d both be glaring at each other across the table.

It got to the point where it was uncomfortable to stay in the house but neither friend felt they could depart while their friends remained so distraught. On the third day Tenzo stood up from where he’d been sitting in the living room. “Kaori, would you like to go for a walk with me?”

Eager to get out of the house, Kaori jumped at the chance. Kakashi and Mei watched suspiciously as their friends exited the dwelling and headed into the woods.

“Something has to be done,” Tenzo said once they were out of sight of the house. He sounded as serious as always but Kaori noted a sad expression in his eyes. She realized that he cared about the couple just as much as she did. This revelation endeared him to her despite his uptight behavior. 

The kunoichi nodded. Seeing her friends like this was driving her crazy. She was itching to do anything to try to help them. Sitting with Mei and Kakashi in their living room pretending that everything was normal had her wound tight. She was willing to try anything. “I agree.”

“I’ve never seen senpai like this before, especially not with Mei.”

Kaori nodded again. “I’ve seen them have arguments before, even trivial ones, but they always get over it within a couple of days if not hours. This just seems to have no end.” She grew quiet for a moment. “Maybe we should have just let them fight it out.”

Tenzo’s eyes grew wide. “Are you crazy? They could easily kill each other!”

If the circumstances had been different, Kaori would have been relieved to finally see the man lose his cool and express his feelings. Now it just filled her with dread. “But they won’t. On that we can agree right?”

Now it was Tenzo’s turn to nod.

“We need a plan,” Kaori said finally, getting excited. “We need to get them to confront whatever’s come between them and work it out without fighting about it.”

“We could sit them down and make them talk to each other. You and I could moderate,” Tenzo suggested.

Kaori shook her head. “Takes too much time. What we need is a traumatic event to make them remember how much they treasure each other.”

“That sounds kind of dangerous,” Tenzo said slowly.

“That’s why you’re going to be the bait,” Kaori said, slapping the shy man on the back. The problem solving was making her bold.

Tenzo tensed, senses on high alert. “What do you mean?”

“Well I’m certainly not going to hurt one of the boys,” Kaori said. “And I can already tell you’re not going to let me be the one who gets injured. You’re far too chivalrous.”

Tenzo opened his mouth to argue but closed it again in defeat. “Maybe I don’t have to be injured. Maybe I can just get lost?” He added this last part hopefully.

Kaori actually stopped walking to raise an eyebrow at the man. “Yes,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “the woodstyle user got lost in the woods.” After a moment her mouth fell open, “oh!” She smacked Tenzo in the chest with the back of her hand. Tenzo flinched. “You could be lost _and_ injured.” 

“I thought I couldn’t get lost in the woods?” Tenzo said in annoyance.

Kaori waved a hand at him. “Maybe you’re disoriented from the poison or something.”

“Poison?!”

Kaori nodded, an evil grin on her face as she looked into the middle distance. “So when do you want to do this?” She focused on him now, her eyes filled with mischief. She was excited. At last things were going to change, plans would be in motion.

“Kaori I don’t know about this,” Tenzo said trying to remain calm. This woman was just wave after wave of half-baked ideas. He struggled to remain centered. “How is my injury supposed to bring them together?”

“We’ll all have to pull together to nurse you back to health of course,” Kaori said brightly. “But it’ll just be a mild poisoning. Maybe with the right plant,” Kaori started to look around at the forest floor.

“So I can’t get lost in the woods but I can misidentify a plant and then eat it for no reason?” Tenzo asked, incredulous.

“Do you have a better idea?”

“I do actually,” Tenzo said rubbing the bridge of his nose. “We’ll tell them that I’m sick and I’ll simply pretend.” 

Kaori rolled her eyes. “They’re never going to believe that. Here,” she opened up the pouch on her belt and withdrew a vial. “This is a mild toxin. I have the antidote right here,” she withdrew another vial.

“Do you normally just have those on your person?”

Kaori ignored his question. She raised her eyebrows. “Isn’t our friends’ happiness worth it?”

Tenzo sighed, glaring at the vials. He snatched the appropriate one. “What do I do with it?” His defeated statement was almost a whine. He eyed the blue liquid critically.

“You have to drink all of it. As I said, it’s very mild.”

“And what will it do?”

“You’ll feel disoriented, dizzy. We usually use it to keep prisoners from knowing where we’re taking them.”

Tenzo raised an eyebrow. “Knocking them unconscious isn’t good enough?”

Kaori scoffed. “Head trauma is not good for the memory. How are we supposed to interrogate them if they have brain damage?”

Tenzo sighed and looked at the vial. _This had better work._ He tossed the toxin back and swallowed it in one uncertain gulp. He returned the vial to Kaori.

“How do you feel?” Kaori realized she was smiling a little too much to have just poisoned one of Kakashi’s best friends. She reigned her emotions in and schooled her expression to match.

“Fine,” Tenzo said irritably. He glared at the blonde woman but then her face began to blur.

Kaori caught him by the arm as he began to list to the side. She slung his arm over her shoulders so that she could support him. Tenzo suddenly flushed red and jerked his arm away, overcompensating and falling over into the fern bed. “Tenzo!” Kaori cried, kneeling next to him. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” the man said, the word slurring a bit. “There’s just no need for you to get all touchy.”

 _Touchy?_ Kaori thought. “But how am I supposed to get you back?” The rational part of her brain pointed out that this was something she probably should have considered before drugging her partner in crime. Sometimes she got excited and forgot steps. That’s what Mei was usually for, the planning.

Tenzo’s dark eyes slowly closed and then opened again. “Bring them here,” he said lazily.

“Then who will watch the boys?” Kaori said. “No, you’re coming with me.” She grasped his arm, pulling him up.

Tenzo swayed on his feet for a moment but recovered his footing. With Kaori leading him by the shirtsleeve, they began to troop through the forest.

Fifteen minutes later they were still walking through the trees, each trunk looking the same to Kaori. She squinted through the dense forest as if this would help her see a familiar landmark. “Tenzo, do you know where we are?” She flinched even as she asked, remembering the conversation they’d had about what the poison was used for in the first place. 

Tenzo turned to look at her. His head dipped forward toward her and then tilted back, his whole torso following the motion like a swaying tree. “No,” the single word was drawn out to the point of ridiculousness. Then Tenzo squinted at her. “Are we lost?”

Kaori looked around once more. “Maybe. Yes. Okay, this is fine. I’ll give you the antidote, you’ll guide us back, and then we can try something else.”

“How will I know where we’re are?” Tenzo said, frowning at his confused sentence but unable to work out how he’d gotten it wrong.

“You built their house, I’m sure you know every inch of this forest,” Kaori said, confidently.

“Unless Kakashi sealed the perimeter so that they couldn’t be found,” Tenzo said, taking the antidote vial that Kaori gave him. He drank it swiftly.

Kaori’s eyes widened. “What?!”

Tenzo downed the antidote and shook his head, hoping to clear it. “Kakashi put in,” he took a breath, “a set of seals that deflects trespassers,” he paused. While Kaori digested this information, a frown had settled over Tenzo’s face. His hand drifted to his abdomen. “Kaori, what’s in this?” He held up the empty vial, eyes narrowing at it suspiciously.

Kaori began to rattle off the ingredients when Tenzo collapsed next to her. He was clutching his stomach. “Tenzo?” Kaori said, kneeling next to him. “Tenzo! Hey!”

The jonin’s eyes fluttered open, his hand trembled as he reached out toward Kaori. She caught his hand and held it, panic creeping into her eyes. Tenzo slowly opened his eyes. “I think it’s just an allergic reaction,” he said through clenched teeth. “It doesn’t help that I was already poisoned.” He paused for breath. “I’ll have,” he stopped as his breath caught. He grimaced for a moment. Tenzo started over, “I’ll have stomach cramps for awhile and I may be nauseous.” He closed his eyes as pain shot through his stomach.

“Those are _some_ stomach cramps,” Kaori said, trying to lighten the mood.

Tenzo clenched his teeth and nodded, eyes squeezed shut.

“Can you walk?” Kaori asked. She licked her lips and swallowed. It was getting dark and with the impending night, Kaori’s guilt also settled like a blanket over her.

“No,” Tenzo said flatly. Sweat was beading on his forehead.

Kaori bit her lip. Her mother had attempted to teach her medical techniques but there had never been much time for it. Until someone became more experienced with it, medical ninjutsu was a stamina killer on the battlefield. A lot of wasted energy went into it if the person didn’t know what they were doing, much like an academy student’s lack of control can waste chakra on an otherwise simple technique. That was fine when in training but in a war it became more of a liability than an asset.

Kaori bent over Tenzo and grasped his torso, tipping him up and over her shoulders. Balancing him there, she pushed with her legs to stand. “Geez man you’re built like a tree.”

“Not funny,” Tenzo winced out as another wave of pain rolled through him. She could feel him shaking even as she held him.

“Not meant to be,” she grunted as she shifted his weight on her shoulders.

Now that she was ready to move she wasn’t entirely sure where to go. Even if Kakashi hadn’t placed the seals, the encroaching darkness was doing well enough in disorienting her. Long shadows stretched out from tall trees as far as the eye could see. Eventually Kaori just picked out a place where they could spend the night.

Tenzo continued to spasm in pain as she laid him down. After only a moment’s hesitation, Kaori mustered her chakra and her hands glowed green. She was nervous at first and tentative with what she did. However, every time Tenzo’s brow relaxed, even if it was just for a second, that was worth it to keep trying.

“You’re reacting more like it’s food poisoning,” Kaori commented, trying to keep Tenzo awake.

His eyes opened and sought her out in the darkening landscape. “It’s always,” he gasped and then continued, “been that way.” He groaned. “Why do you Water Country people need to put strange fish into everything you make?” 

Kaori raised an eyebrow. “Is that a serious question?”

“No,” Tenzo grunted, closing his eyes.

“Well I _was_ trying to poison you,” Kaori said, forcing a smile.

Tenzo retched and Kaori shifted him to the side so that he didn’t fall in his own sick. “Good job,” he said, leaning into her to help her move him.

Minutes stretched by but Kaori only saw with her chakra, sorting through to the source of the trouble. This was her fault, entirely, and she would do everything in her power to rectify it.

00000

Shiba was the one to find them. Kakashi and Mei frantically ran to his howl, eyes searching for his grey coat in the moonlight. The scene they came upon gave them pause.

Tenzo was stretched out on his back in the thick grass. Kaori lay with her head resting on his chest and a hand on his stomach. Her blonde hair pooled over them both. The married couple exchanged a look before Mei rushed forward, grasping her friend’s shoulder. Kaori woke immediately, reaching out for Tenzo as they were pulled apart.

The blonde’s eyes were wide as she stared at her friend. Kakashi came around on the other side but was unable to wake Tenzo with audible cues. When he gave the jonin a shake Tenzo groaned but remained unconscious. Kakashi bowed his head in relief and then glanced over at his wife in the darkness.

“He’s had an allergic reaction,” Kaori said in a bit of a daze.

Mei frowned. “Have you been healing him? You haven’t done anything like that in years.” That explained her friend’s exhaustion but it raised even more questions.

Kakashi was already hauling Tenzo up and onto his back. He turned to his waiting companion. “Shiba, call off the search. Thank you.”

The hound turned and bounded off into the undergrowth. His reassuring howl echoed through the forest.

“We should get them back to the house,” Kakashi said. “Kaori, can you walk?”

The woman nodded and slowly stood. The group hastened back to the abode where Pakkun and Uhei waited. Kakashi led the way, stepping confidently through the brush until they reached the clearing. Kaori had never been so happy to see that house.

Once Tenzo was put to bed the three had a quick discussion.

“We should send for a medic,” Kakashi began hurriedly.

“Kaori can heal him,” Mei said firmly.

Kakashi locked eyes with his wife. They appeared to be having a silent conversation through glares alone. Before anything else could be said, Kaori spoke up. “I can do it. This is my fault.”

“What do you mean-” Kakashi began but Mei shushed him and pulled him out of the room.

Kaori spent the next two days nursing Tenzo. He regained consciousness the next morning but was not well enough to stand until the day after. Between the purposeful poison and the accidental poisoning, Tenzo was having a bad week. Still, he’d had worse incidents on missions where he’d been alone. Kaori apologized a hundred times, the stricken look on her face enough for Tenzo to forgive her. 

“At least they’re not mad at each other,” Tenzo said glancing at the door to his room. “Your plan sort of worked.”

“If we tell them what really happened then they’d be mad at me instead of each other. That would work even better.” Kaori said bitterly. She still hadn’t forgiven herself. Not for the half-baked plan, not for putting Tenzo through this, not for anything. It hung over her like a fog that didn’t burn away with the dawn.

Tenzo grasped her hand to reassure her. “I won’t tell them if you won’t.”

Kaori observed his hand holding hers with something akin to curiosity. Tenzo let go of it in embarrassment, his cheeks burning.

Kunoichi were an odd thing, Tenzo decided. They could be terribly frightening when crossed. However, he saw the way Mei looked tenderly at Kakashi when she thought no one could see. He watched Kaori’s face relax when she’d fall asleep at his bedside. These were the same women who could rip him apart. Something about that duality made his heart warm to them. Then he briefly wondered if he secretly enjoyed putting himself in painful situations. Kunoichi were dangerous.

Although Tenzo was well enough to get around on his own, the Hatakes insisted that he stay in bed until he was fully recuperated. Tenzo looked at them, confused, until Kakashi said, “we wouldn’t want you traveling home alone and falling ill.”

Although better at dealing with being bedridden than his senpai, even Tenzo got restless. He busied himself with plans for making wooden toys for the boys. “It fine-tunes my control,” he explained to his nurse. He told Kaori about how he was working on an idea to construct puzzle boxes for Roka and Kasumi when they got a little older.

The kunoichi stared at him. “How would that even work? Could you show me?”

Tenzo hesitated. His woodstyle hardly looked normal, especially with what he was about to do. Still, Kaori looked expectant, her eyes wide and hopeful.

Tenzo sat up a little straighter. Kaori rushed forward to fluff his pillows up for him. The ANBU blushed but tried to hide it with a cough. He cleared his throat. “So, I um, I start with this,” he began. He formed a single sign with both hands and then held out his fingers so that they were curved toward each other as if he were about to grasp something. “Then I just,” he continued and focused. The tips of his fingers slowly squared off and then began to grow, becoming more and more like square dowels. Tenzo’s skin color disappeared giving way to the grain pattern of the wood. The rods extended out from his fingers and he twisted his hands to help with the angles. After a moment he released the breath he’d been holding. With a careful movement, he broke his fingers away from the finished box. Holding the box in his hands now, he examined it for clean breaks and tight construction. Then he realized that Kaori hadn’t said anything. His cheeks warmed and he was afraid to look at her. Carefully he glanced over at the woman but she wasn’t looking at him.

Kaori’s eyes were glued to the box that he’d just created. “Wow.” Her eyes were wide as she stared. “Tenzo that’s incredible,” she looked him in the eyes and gave him a smile. “Really, wow.”

Tenzo, if possible, became redder in the face. “This is just a regular box,” he sputtered out. “What I’d really like to do is make a series of pieces that fit together but can still be moved. I really need to work at it though, especially in the planning process.”

Kaori just shook her head, smiling. “I mean I knew you made the house but this is really intricate.” She reached out to touch the box and Tenzo handed it to her. She rubbed against the grain with her thumb. “Not a splinter.” Suddenly Kaori turned around and shouted, “Mei?! Why doesn’t your bloodline do cooler stuff?!”

After a pause there was a return shout. “Cool stuff like saving your life during the war?!” Mei called back from somewhere in the house.

Kaori turned back to Tenzo. Indicating Mei with a toss of her head Kaori rolled her eyes, “showoff.”

Tenzo smiled. “You two must have been through a lot together.”

Kaori nodded. She looked at the bed sheets, a small smile gracing her lips as her mind flipped through memories. She refocused on her patient. “You too. You and Kakashi I mean.”

Tenzo nodded. He grew embarrassed again. “He saved me, really.”

This piqued Kaori’s interest. “What do you mean?” 

The story came out slowly but Tenzo started it with a hand in the air. “Because of this,” Tenzo held up his palm. A four by four plank sprouted out of his hand a couple of inches, then it retracted and his hand went back to its original shape. “I was made this way, experimented on. Then I was rescued by someone but he just wanted my abilities, to train me and use me as a weapon. All anyone ever wanted to do was use me and my ability. Even Kakashi, when he first met me, only let me live because I was an asset to the village.”

Kaori could tell there was a longer story to this explanation but she did not interrupt.

“But then senpai convinced me that there was more to life than my mission. My village is made up of people and I serve them, my friends, and the next generation. The mission should not outweigh the people it’s meant to serve.” Tenzo paused here a moment and Kaori thought he might be finished. Then he continued, “he got me out and welcomed me into-” he trailed off.

Kaori smiled. “Into ANBU. I know that part.” She frowned, something ugly and red grew within her chest. “That someone, who used you-”

“He’s dead,” Tenzo said, an air of finality in his voice.

“I see,” Kaori said. She thought of what Mei would have done in Tenzo’s situation. What Mei _had_ done. “Did you-”

“I didn’t kill him, no. Uchiha Sasuke did.” He stared at his hands resting on top of the blankets. 

Kaori blinked in comprehension. “Danzo, you were rescued and used by Danzo?”

Tenzo’s eyes widened. He clearly hadn’t meant to give that much away. “How did you know that?”

Kaori chuckled darkly. “Despite Mei’s hatred of the Uchiha, I looked up his file. By the standards of a rogue ninja or even a regular ninja, his kill count is very low. It wasn’t that hard to narrow down.”

Tenzo sighed, leaning back into his pillows.

She frowned at him. “I won’t tell anyone that you told me.”

Tenzo’s eyes expanded and he looked at her. “No, it’s not that. I’ve just- I don’t know why I told you all that.” He scratched the side of his face, where his headband usually rested.

Kaori put the flat of her hand on his forehead. Tenzo’s face flushed and he tried to duck away from the touch. “Are you feeling okay?” She was offering an explanation for his behavior rather than asking a question.

“Fine,” Tenzo said, his voice a little higher than normal. He cleared his throat and spoke again. “I’m fine. I’m probably just tired.” He forced a smile onto his face.

Kaori looked unconvinced and stood up. “You’d better rest then. I should go make sure Mei and Kakashi aren’t killing each other in any case.”

“You’ll come back?” Tenzo asked and then was horrified at himself for asking.

Kaori didn’t seem to notice the man’s discomfort however. She nodded and left the room.

00000

As the week came to a close and no further arguments broke out, Tenzo and Kaori decided that whatever problems their friends had been having were resolved.

The last night of their combined visit, Tenzo was allowed to eat with the family instead of in his bed. He was relieved at this since he’d been going a little stir-crazy. Not to mention it was lonely. Kaori was almost constantly there, her guilt driving her to stay with him as much as possible, but it was hardly the week long vacation he’d been hoping to have.

“At least they seem to have made up,” Kaori whispered that night before she left for her own room. Kakashi and Mei had gone to bed early and the boys were both asleep.

Tenzo nodded thoughtfully. “Rather quickly too,” he agreed, matching her volume. “It’s strange. Did you ever see them actually talking about it, what set them off?”

Kaori shook her head. “You think they’re just holding off arguing until we leave?”

“Perhaps.”

Kaori bit her lip.

Tenzo reached out without thinking and touched her hand. Kaori flinched but did not withdraw it. Tenzo began to recoil but Kaori stopped him. “Sorry, you just startled me.” She turned her hand over so that she could give his hand a squeeze, then she let go. “What were you going to say?”

Tenzo swallowed and then schooling his expression said, “I’m sure they’re fine.”

Kaori matched his smile. “We can invite ourselves over again in another couple of weeks to check up on them?” They both chuckled quietly and then Kaori wished him a good night.

As the kunoichi walked down the hall to her room, she grasped her hand with the other one, examining it with a frown.

00000

As they each departed, Kaori decided that Tenzo wasn’t so bad after all. He was awkward and terribly formal, but he was also kind and thoughtful and cared deeply for his friends. She was just leaving the clearing when something inside of her drew her back. She turned around and headed with a long stride in the opposite direction of her home. Breaking into a run, she caught up with Tenzo before he’d vanished into the woods.

The Leaf ninja was surprised to see her but hid it well. “Kaori? What can I do for you?”

“Let me walk you home,” Kaori said, a small smile on her face. She looked forward to seeing the baffled and embarrassed look on his face. She was not disappointed.

Tenzo blinked his wide eyes at her. “It’s a long way just to walk me home.”

Kaori shrugged. “I owe you. If you pass out and die on the road I’d never forgive myself.”

Tenzo smiled the tiniest bit and shook his head. He turned as he quietly said, “if you wish.”

The two continued down the road together, either in conversation or companionable silence. Tenzo looked at the long road ahead and then at his traveling companion. He decided it hadn’t been such a bad vacation after all.

00000

Kakashi and Mei had anxiously watched both of their friends leave from the windows of their home. “Do you think it worked?” Mei asked excitedly.

Kakashi sighed, “I certainly hope something came of it. To think that Tenzo was sick for days just because you felt like playing matchmaker.”

Mei turned and looked at her husband, scandalized. “You’re the one who wanted to have the big argument; convince them that they needed to join together to bring us back together or some underneath nonsense.

“I didn’t know why they went running off into the woods together. Although when we found them-” Mei trailed off, giddy.

“But they weren’t being romantic, they were injured and we should have started looking for them much sooner,” Kakashi pressed. He washed his face with his hands. “This whole thing came out very wrong.”

“I don’t know about that,” Mei said, smiling out at the trees. 


	34. Kakashi and Mei: Road to Ninja Style

Kakashi and Mei were preparing breakfast in their home. The children were still upstairs sleeping. Mei scrubbed a dish angrily that had been left over from last night. Kakashi turned from the stove to look at her. “Something the matter?”

Mei sighed and put the dish down. She turned around and faced her husband. Kakashi matched her alert posture, mentally preparing himself. “Kakashi, when are we going to make a decision about Roka’s schooling? Or any of the children’s education for that matter?”

Kakashi’s shoulders slumped. _Back to this again?_ He watched Mei observe his change of stance. He moved to correct it but it was too late, she had seen. The scowl on her face was confirmation enough. “I thought we’d decided to continue to home school them?”

“For how much longer?” Mei asked.

Kakashi turned back to the cooking food. “Until they’re of academy entrance age.” He tried to close the conversation there but Mei was not done.

“By then they’ll be so beyond their peers in skill that it’ll be pointless! Roka practically has the skills to graduate now, from any academy.” Mei cried. “They’ll be treated like freaks!”

Kakashi put the spatula down a little too hard. He turned, his expression hidden with a mask of indifference under his normal cloth one. “They’ll be treated like freaks anyway if we send them to school this young. Their skill will make them targets no matter their age, not to mention their blood.”

This made both of them pause. Mei thought of the purges, the friends she’d turned on during her graduation exam. Kakashi mentally reviewed his experiences at the academy and beyond, the friends he had loved and lost. He shook his head. “We can’t do that to them. Their childhood is strange as it is, we have to make things as normal as possible, including having them bond with comrades their own age.”

Mei frowned. “Holding them back will be a death sentence. We can’t protect them forever.” Mei glanced up at the ceiling as she heard a thud that usually preceded the appearance of their younger son.

The Mizukage was about to comment to Kakashi about how Kasumi should get a bed on the ground instead of the lofted one he had, when a bright light appeared in the kitchen.

Mei backed up immediately, eyes wide. Kakashi dodged away from her to divide their targets. It didn’t matter; they were both absorbed into the light and whisked away.

The next thing Kakashi knew he was waking up in an apartment, alone. He sat up and glanced around, realizing that it was his private residence in the Leaf. His eyes widened in panic. _What am I doing here?!_ He jumped out of bed, not noticing the sparseness of the room, and shot out the door. Once outside he looked around, desperate to find someone he knew. He had to find out what had happened to Mei and the children. He wasn’t in the hospital which meant he wasn’t injured, but why weren’t they with him? Maybe they were in his Hokage apartment?

The Sixth Hokage sprinted down the street, taking to the rooftops to make it there faster. He entered Naruto’s office without preamble. The blonde and Shikamaru looked up. The former smiled. “Hey Kakashi-sensei, what’s up?”

Kakashi brushed the pleasantries aside. “Naruto, could you tell me where Mei is? She’s not in my apartment. The last thing I remember-” Kakashi stopped in confusion upon recalling what he did remember. What was he doing all the way in the Leaf?

Naruto blinked and then frowned. “Mei? Terumi Mei? Why would she be in your apartment?” If the look on Kakashi’s face hadn’t been so serious, Naruto would have thought that his sensei was joking with him. This concern led Naruto to instantly begin digging through a pile of papers. Shikamaru rushed forward to steady the teetering tower of pages that Naruto was upsetting. 

Kakashi was breathing hard in his alarm. “I have to find out what happened to her and the children. Something happened at our house and the next thing I remember I was here.”

Naruto withdrew the page he wanted but instead of reading it he was looking at his sensei. There was confusion in those blue eyes. Shikamaru mirrored this expression. The Nara spoke, “what children Kakashi-sensei?”

Kakashi blinked. “Wha-” His mind reeled. For a terrifying moment he was afraid he’d dreamed it all, the life he and Mei had. Something at his core remained peaceful and Kakashi drew strength from it. He did not dream up his wife or his children. They were real, as much as he was, he simply had to find them. 

Unable to look at his sensei’s distraught face for long, Naruto glanced down at the page he was holding. “Last intelligence I had, Lady Mei was in her village after returning from a diplomatic mission to the Land of Snow…or Spring I guess,” Naruto scratched his head. “They still haven’t really decided what to call it. Changing the name of an entire country is kind of-” He trailed off.

“Troublesome,” Shikamaru finished for him.

“No,” Kakashi said, cutting them off, angry at their nonchalance. “Mei and I were in our house and we were attacked. There was a bright light and-” he trailed off when he saw the expressions on the two men’s faces.

Naruto rose, concern etched into his features. “Sensei, what are you talking about? What house do you mean?”

Kakashi reigned in his frustration. “OUR house, Mei’s and mine. I-” he stopped to collect himself. Something was not right and shouting at his allies wasn’t going to fix it. After a few breaths he said, “I need to radio Lord Chojuro, right now.” Naruto made a sign to Shikamaru before he walked around his desk and gestured at the door. Kakashi knew the way.

The two Hokage hurried up the stairs to the communication section of the tower. The perches for the various messenger birds now shared space with radio equipment. There were many places that still couldn’t or wouldn’t use radio communication. This setup was put into place so that both stations could be close to the coding division.

Naruto took the microphone when the ninja on duty got Chojuro on the other end. “Lord Mizukage, it’s good to talk to you again,” Naruto said, forcing cheer into his voice despite the apprehension he was feeling.

“Can we make this quick Lord Hokage?” Chojuro asked, putting the pleasantries aside. “I apologize for being short with you but we’ve got a mystery here and it’s developing into a bit of a…problem.”

Naruto’s chest seized up. He could almost feel his sensei straining his ears behind him. The door closed behind them all as Shikamaru entered. “What sort of problem?” Naruto asked.

“Lady Mei is acting a bit…odd. She’s left the village, heading for the coast. We don’t really know why but, Naruto, she was crying.” Chojuro’s voice cut itself off. Naruto could imagine the look of agitation on the Mizukage’s face. It probably mirrored his own. He knew that Chojuro and Mei were close friends, comrades. Mei had taken Chojuro under her wing and the Mizukage had never forgotten it. 

Naruto’s somber thoughts were interrupted by the exclamations of Shikamaru and some of the other ninja. The door to the stairs was hanging open, still on the backswing from being hastily opened. Kakashi was gone. “Kakashi-sensei,” Shikamaru exclaimed, moving toward the staircase.

Naruto held out a hand to stop him, frown on his face. “Captain Yamato?” Naruto said quietly into the silent room. Yamato, or Tenzo, appeared instantly at the Hokage’s side. Naruto had continued to call the man Yamato after all these years; it had become a term of endearment. Even as retired ANBU, Tenzo had remained a part of Naruto’s personal guard. “Follow him, but don’t interfere unless he attempts to hurt himself. Something is very wrong.”

Without a word Tenzo teleported away, probably to the roof, hot on the track of his old senpai. With this done Naruto returned to the radio. “Are you still there Chojuro?”

The Mizukage replied in the affirmative.

“Did Lady Mei say anything about the Sixth Hokage, my sensei, before she left?”

Chojuro paused in confusion. “Lord Kakashi? No. She just kept saying, ‘this can’t be real’ over and over.” When Naruto didn’t respond the Mizukage said, “has something happened to him?”

Naruto licked his lips. “No, not exactly, but he doesn’t seem to be feeling well. I’ll let you know if we find anything out about Lady Mei.” With that Naruto terminated the conversation with the usual goodbyes and handed the microphone back to the operator.

The Seventh Hokage swiftly left the room, Shikamaru on his heels.

000000

Mei woke up groggily, rolling over to curl up next to Kakashi. There was nothing there but cold sheets. Her eyes snapped open, her hands stretching out, hastily completing a ritual she hadn’t performed in years. Kakashi was gone. His side of the bed wasn’t even warm. She sat up and squinted at the dark unfriendly room around her. Maybe he’d simply gone out to check on something? Maybe one of the children?

Mei looked around at the familiar pale blue walls of her apartment. This wasn’t their room. This wasn’t their home. Why was she in the Mist? Mei hastily threw on some clothes and rushed out the door. Then she ran back into the room, checking and rechecking the nightstand, the walls, the closet. Kakashi’s presence should have been obvious. Their pictures on the walls and stand, his clothes neatly folded, but there was nothing. He should have been there. He wasn’t.

It wasn’t another nightmare, it couldn’t be. Mei rushed out into the street, taking the familiar route. Mei’s fist was winding back for the fifth punch, meant to be a knock, on the wooden door when Kaori opened it.

“Whoa,” Kaori gasped, stepping back out of the path of the punch. “What do you have against my door?”

“Where’s Kakashi?” Mei demanded. Her hair was loose and wild in the breeze. Her eyes blazed.

Kaori rubbed an eye. “Who? Mei, it’s too early for this.”

“Hatake. Kakashi. Where. Is. he?” Mei ground out. Her temper was the only thing holding back the onslaught of pain. That dam creaked under the pressure of waiting for her best friend’s response.

Kaori blinked. “The Sixth Hokage? In the Leaf I guess?” She yawned. “Seriously Mei, I know you said you wanted to see me as soon as I got back but couldn’t you have let me get at least a couple of hours sleep before coming over?”

Mei wasn’t listening, she whirled away and began sprinting for her next target. However, as luck would have it, Chojuro was out for a walk just then and she ran into him before even reaching the tower.

“Chojuro,” Mei greeted him informally. Just the same he smiled and greeted her in response.

Then it hit her, he wasn’t surprised to see her there. No one was surprised to see her there, in the Hidden Mist Village, without her husband. She should have been on the coast of the old Land of Fire, on the strip of neutral territory that Fire and Water shared. She should have been in the kitchen with Kakashi making breakfast and greeting her children and- had it all been a dream after all? Was this just one more dream turned nightmare as soon as she awoke? It couldn’t be a dream, it had been too real, too sweet, too wonderful. It couldn’t be a dream. It couldn’t be. It couldn’t be a dream. This can’t be real.

Mei hadn’t realized it but she’d begun to softly chant the words to herself. “This can’t be real. This can’t be real.” She held her face in her hands and tried to will the world away.

“Lady Mei?” Chojuro said, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

Mei sprung back from him, screaming. Chojuro recoiled, eyes flashing from surprise, to anger, to concern. Before he could say anything, Mei took off as fast as she could go, out of the village, across the open country.

“Follow her. Do **not** engage,” Chojuro said quietly to no one in particular. Still, a cell of Mist ninja instantly melted out of the buildings and ground nearby. They took off in pursuit of their Mizukage.

Kakashi whipped through trees, the leaves scratching his face and hands but he did not slow down. It was a long trip, he knew. He couldn’t, or rather shouldn’t, run the whole way there without stopping. But the urge to hurry on was too strong. Every time he stopped to rest he’d be fidgeting within moments and then would move on, back into the trees or on the road. He had to get there as soon as possible. If she wasn’t there then he’d run to the Mist if he had to.

Mei sprinted across open country, ignoring her lack of footwear or hair restraints. She automatically looked around, feeling the temperature and the wind speed, gauging the weather for the crossing over the sea.

They had to see it, had to know. They had to go home.

000000

Kakashi searched for the clearing, unsure about everything. It had been a few days of hard travel but he’d arrived at his and Mei’s house, or at least, where it should have been. He thought of summoning his hounds to help him find it but dismissed the thought. The last thing he needed was someone else looking at him like he was a madman. Over the past few days he’d worked it over in his head, it was the only other thought occupying his brain besides the constant need to find his wife. The life he had with Mei and their beautiful children, that had not been a dream. The idea of them had not faded over the hours or even days as dreams did. It remained a constant somewhere deep in his chest. However, this did not help him find their house.

Was it this clearing? Or around this bend? Why did everything look so different? Then Kakashi heard something and he stopped to listen. It was crying and then a hiccup followed by more sobs. His heart froze. He would know those sounds anywhere, for as long as he lived.

“Mei!” Kakashi screamed into the quiet forest. The word tore his throat as well as scared a few birds. He crashed through the undergrowth with all the grace of an elephant, desperate to get to his weeping wife. He looked for her frantically. He had to hold her, to comfort her, to- His thoughts were cut off when something flew through the trees and tackled him. “Mei?” Kakashi said in surprise as they both crashed to the forest floor. She was holding him so tightly that he thought his ribs might break.

Kakashi struggled but Mei was not letting him go. Her face was solidly hidden where his shoulder met his neck. Eventually she realized what he was trying to do and loosened her grip so that Kakashi could withdraw his arms and wrap them around her in return. Holding her was like being whole again.

“Kakashi,” Mei breathed out between gasps. “Do you know me?”

Kakashi pulled back to look down at her. Green eyes darted up to meet his. “How could I not know my own wife?”

Mei’s eyes flooded with tears and she instantly looked down to let them fall against Kakashi’s flak vest. “I knew it. I knew we were real. I thought it might be another nightmare but then I got into the forest. The trees were real and I knew how to climb them properly. That was real. It was all real.”

Kakashi wasn’t entirely sure what Mei was saying. He made a mental note to ask her about it later when she wasn’t so upset. For the time being he simply held her tightly, happy to be holding her again. For the first time in days he felt as if he was on solid ground. Eventually they both sat down in the clearing where their house should be. They were reluctant to let go of each other so they clasped hands as they sat.

“What is happening? Where are our babies? Why does no one know that we’re married? Where is our house?” Mei’s questions got more hurried and urgent as she went on so she stopped before she got hysterical.

Kakashi shook his head, at a loss. “This place looks exactly as it was before our house was built. It’s like it was never here. As if we never married and settled here.”

Mei looked up and Kakashi met her eyes. “Do you remember that flash of light?”

Kakashi nodded, following her train of thought. “A jutsu maybe? Time distortion? Another reality maybe? It could be anything.”

“Or we’re both crazy,” Mei said with a sly smile. Then, thinking it was time for the old ANBU to join the conversation she said, “that’s probably what Tenzo thinks.”

Kakashi nodded. “But he’s not even trying to hide so he must want us to know he’s here.” The Hokage looked up and watched as Tenzo emerged from the trees.

“Lady Mizukage,” Tenzo greeted her formally.

Mei’s eyes widened at the stiffness and formality of the greeting. As if he were meeting her for the first time in a formal setting and not out in the woods. Mei sighed. “Everything here is so backward.”

“Actually,” Kakashi said thoughtfully, “it could be much worse. It would appear that the only thing that has changed is we never married or dated for that matter.” Kakashi turned to Tenzo, “have we?”

Tenzo shook his head. “If you and the Lady Mizukage had a relationship you kept it very secret.”

Mei snorted, “well that’s impossible. You all figured it out almost instantly.”

Tenzo eyed them both, unsure of what to think. So naturally he changed the subject. “What is this place?” He glanced around at the completely ordinary plot of ground in the forest.

Kakashi squeezed Mei’s hand. “This is where our house is, the house you built for us,” Kakashi said calmly. “Several times actually.” He wanted to see Tenzo’s reaction more than anything else. He was not disappointed.

Tenzo blinked and almost took a step back. “ _I_ built?”

Mei nodded, “with your woodstyle. You do still use the woodstyle?”

Tenzo sputtered. “Of course I do! But why would you two need a house?”

Kakashi looked at his old friend for several long moments. Then he said, “we really aren’t married here are we? We have no children? Roka, Kasumi, Hisano, and Fujita don’t exist here?” Kakashi’s heart sank. Mei’s expression was crestfallen. 

Tenzo shook his head, unable to relieve his senpai. He didn’t know who those people were.

Mei spoke up, “we’re married and we can prove it.”

“We can?” Kakashi asked. He turned and looked at Mei.

Mei nodded. She was still looking at Tenzo. “Absolutely. Ask me anything, anything about Kakashi. The things I know about this total stranger,” she gestured at her husband, “will surprise you.”

Kakashi scratched his head. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea…”

“What is Kakashi-senpai’s ANBU designation?” Tenzo was pulling no punches and wasted no time.

Mei’s smile faded. She turned to Kakashi, “why don’t I know that?”

Kakashi scratched the back of his head once more. “There’s a reason I never told you that…”

“Who was senpai’s first love?” Tenzo continued.

“I’m sorry, his first what?” Mei’s head whipped toward Tenzo and then back to Kakashi, brow creased in suspicion. But Kakashi was looking at Tenzo, confused.

“My first wha-?” but Kakashi was cut off.

“What is Kakashi’s shoe size?” Tenzo asked, continuing.

Kakashi glanced down at his sandals and scratched his head thoughtfully. _How does Tenzo know my shoe size?_

Mei opened her mouth and closed it again.

“What was the Fourth Hokage’s team’s designation?” Tenzo was not letting up.

“How do _you_ even know that?” Kakashi demanded of his old friend. Mei’s face had gone red.

“I’ve read your file,” Tenzo said simply. “But surely your wife should know the answer to at least one of these questions?”

Mei was glaring at Kakashi now. He was trying to ignore her. Then Mei brightened. “Ask Kakashi something about me. His memory is better anyway.”

Tenzo looked at her blankly. “I don’t know anything about you besides what’s on the public record. He could be lying for all I know.”

A storm cloud appeared above Mei’s head. It began to rain on her. Kakashi pulled an umbrella out of nowhere and held it over her now-soaked head. While still holding the umbrella Kakashi turned to Tenzo.

“Maybe we should head back to the Leaf. Ino might be able to help us out in this situation.”

Mei shook the storm cloud away and looked at the clearing, sadness filled her eyes. Her babies were gone. Even if they did exist here, she didn’t know where to find them.

Kakashi squeezed her shoulder. “We’re going to find them.”

She nodded as they got up to leave.

Mei walked on Kakashi’s left side, Tenzo on his right. “How long have they been here?” Tenzo asked out of the side of his mouth.

Without looking around at the hiding places of the Mist ninja, Kakashi answered, “they followed Mei like you followed me, probably for the same purpose.”

Tenzo nodded thoughtfully. Kakashi took Mei’s hand in his as they walked out of the clearing. “Do you know them?” Kakashi asked his wife quietly.

“Some,” Mei said. “I was in quite a state when I left the village but Chojuro and I are still friends here. It’ll be fine.” Then she stopped and turned around. Kakashi felt the signatures meld into fresh hiding places. Mei raised her voice, “I’m returning to the Leaf Village with my husband, the Sixth Hokage. Inform the Mizukage that we’re going to continue to sort things out there.” The three in the open felt two signatures vanish. Mei nodded in satisfaction and the trio proceeded to the Leaf with their Mist entourage.

000000

“And that’s what happened,” Kakashi concluded. He and Mei, along with Tenzo and Shikamaru, stood in Naruto’s office. The Hokage nodded thoughtfully.

“Do you have any idea where your counterparts from this dimension are?” Naruto asked seriously.

“Wait, you believe this?” Shikamaru protested.

Naruto started to say something about Sakura going on a date with him to an alternate reality but he was cut off.

Mei blinked, “oh no.”

“What?” Kakashi asked, turning to his wife.

“What if they’re with our children?” Mei fretted. “In our house?”

“I’m sure they’re fine. Kasumi’s already awake. The four of them can fend for themselves,” Kakashi said soothingly.

“But what if I’m a horrible person here?” Mei said.

“The only difference, as far as we can see, is that we got married,” Kakashi pointed out. “You aren’t going to be a horrible person. At the very least, you aren’t going to harm four children just because you find yourself in a confusing situation.”

“Was Kakashi a lazy pervert sensei in your world?” Naruto asked.

Kakashi looked affronted. Mei looked thoughtful. “Well, the you in our world would say yes to that so I’m going to say yes?” 

Naruto grinned. “Am I still Hokage in your world?” 

“Yes,” Kakashi replied to his student.

The blonde grinned and threw a fist in the air. “Then I think they’ll be fine.”

Shikamaru looked between every person in the room, shocked. “Is no one even going to question this?”

Naruto waved him off. “This happens all the time. We’ll figure something out.” Shikamaru looked like a vein was about to pop out of his head. 

“Am I still single in your world?” Tenzo asked suddenly. The couple turned to him.

“Yes?” Kakashi said unhelpfully.

“Well,” Mei said skeptically, “you and Kaori are kind of-”

“Should we really count that?” Kakashi interrupted. Tenzo’s face looked hopeful.

“There was that date,” Mei commented.

“But we don’t know if they’ve seen each other since then,” Kakashi said.

Tenzo looked like he was about to bust. “Who’s Kaori?”

“My best friend,” Mei said grinning. “You two are so cute together.” Mei’s smile fell. Her children were never far from her mind. “Kakashi,” she said grabbing his arm. “How are we going to get back?” 

Kakashi put his hands on Mei’s shoulders. “No matter what, we’ll figure it out. We have before.” He pulled Mei into his arms and she sighed out her fears into his gray flak vest.

“Alright,” she said, “let’s figure it out.” The couple left the office.

“Well,” Naruto said after recovering from his sensei participating in a public display of affection. “I guess I’d better call Chojuro.”

Shikamaru washed his face with his hands in exasperation. “We’ll go see if _our_ Kakashi,” he shuddered, “is in the village.” He and Tenzo left.

As Kakashi and Mei made their way down the street, Kakashi unconsciously walked toward the memorial stone. As they stood there in silence Mei spoke up. “Kakashi, there’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

Kakashi side-glanced at his wife.

“I was afraid to before; I didn’t want to bring up a sensitive subject. But I realize I’ve been ungrateful lately. To you now and to others in the past. I’m sorry we got into that argument about the kids’ schooling. I just want to sit down and talk about it instead of snipping at each other. I feel like you aren’t taking it seriously.”

Kakashi smiled. “I do take it seriously. As soon as we get home, we’ll talk about it.”

Mei nodded and looked at the stone covered in names.

“You had a question?” Kakashi pressed.

“I know your ANBU has secrets but do you- could you tell me who Wolf was?” Kakashi opened his mouth but Mei cut him off. “I know you aren’t supposed to tell but I’m sure he’s dead by now. I just want to honor him for what he’s done for me in the past. He saved my life, back during the war. I never really thanked him for it.” Mei felt that she was babbling and shut her mouth.

Kakashi looked at her fondly. “That war was a long time ago,” Kakashi said. “I’m surprised you remember some Leaf ANBU.”

“How could I forget him?” Mei cried. “He was part of my inspiration to make my village better, to be more than a tool. He defied everything I’d thought a ninja had to be.”

Kakashi’s cheeks grew flushed but Mei didn’t notice. 

“I um- I actually had a crush on him for awhile.” Mei smiled sadly. “Kaori and I used to talk about him-” Then she quickly said, “but of course if he’s alive, I mean- I’m sure he doesn’t hold a candle to you. Just tell me the truth.”

Kakashi laughed. The reaction surprised Mei, she waited patiently. “You think I’d be jealous of Wolf?”

Mei brightened. “You know him?”

“Knew him would be more accurate,” Kakashi said evenly. 

Mei’s face fell. Kakashi studied her, wrestling with himself in his head. Finally, decided, he put his fingers under her chin to lift her head. She looked up at him questioningly. “Mei, I was Wolf.” 

Mei blinked, uncomprehending. “You?” She looked at him, saw the truth of it in his eyes. “It was you?” Kakashi nodded slowly. She stepped away from him. “Why didn’t you ever say anything? I kept your scroll! I have your scroll!” Mei turned a circle, clutching her head with her hands.

“You weren’t wrong when you said it was a gift,” Kakashi said smiling under his mask. Mei stopped and looked at him.

“But,” Mei sputtered. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?!”

Kakashi shrugged. “I honestly didn’t think you’d remember Wolf, it never really came up. Then so much time had passed I was kind of embarrassed to tell you.” Kakashi scratched the back of his head.

“You- you never told me your ANBU designation!” Mei accused.

“You never asked until now,” Kakashi said almost laughing at Mei’s overreactions.

“Because I didn’t want to force you to tell me things that would get you in trouble. Kakashi!” She smacked him in the arm. “How could you not tell me? I can’t believe this! Wait until I tell Kaori.” She frowned. “I thought about killing you.”

“I appreciate that you didn’t, both then and now.”

Mei threw her arms around her husband. “It would have been so easy. You were just lying there.”

“But you didn’t,” Kakashi said into her hair. “That’s what made me respect you. When I heard you became the Mizukage I was a little less worried about the world.”

Mei looked up at her husband, eyes shining. “I love you.” They brushed noses. Mei giggled and Kakashi eye-smiled at her. 

“I love you too.” 

Kakashi and Mei were suddenly blinded. They clung to each other as they were whisked away once more.

000000

Kakashi and Mei blinked the bright light out of their eyes as they took in their surroundings. They were in their kitchen. The food was burning on the stove but Kakashi grabbed a towel and was quick to rescue it. Mei saw the dirty dish she’d been so upset at before and wanted to kiss it.

Kasumi walked into the room rubbing his eyes. He sniffed. “I smell smoke.”

Mei rushed to her son and picked him up, giving him a kiss. “Oh darling it’s nothing.” She squeezed him so tight that he protested. She looked at Kakashi who was walking over to join them. “Mommy and Daddy were just discussing something and we lost track of things.” Kakashi met her eye, a smile under his mask.

“It’s good to be home,” Kakashi said.

Mei smiled and put Kasumi down. He pattered over to the cabinets, pushing a step stool over so that he could grab a plate.

Suddenly Mei’s eyes grew wide. She shifted closer to Kakashi and whispered, “can we call our children wolf cubs?”

“No,” Kakashi replied.


	35. The Wave Game

When Mei had told Kaori that Kakashi was on his way to visit, she’d meant for her friend to take the hint that they wanted to be alone. Instead, Kaori continued to lounge around Mei’s apartment until Kakashi arrived.

Surely, Mei had thought, Kaori would take off once Kakashi got to the apartment. Then she thought maybe if they all went for a walk Kaori would take her leave. No such luck.

“So what are we doing today?” Kaori asked as the three of them walked the streets of the Mist Village.

Kakashi eye-smiled, unsure if this had been part of Mei’s plan. Mei inwardly groaned. Things only continued to go downhill.

Kakashi didn’t mind Kaori, not nearly as much as the Mizukage seemed to. Is this how Mei had felt about the impromptu Team Seven picnic? He reached out and gave Mei’s hand a quick squeeze with his own. She turned to look at him and gave him an apologetic smile. Unfortunately, instead of flirting, Mei should have been formulating a plan to distract Kaori. By the time she’d thought of that it was too late.

“We could play the ‘wave game’,” the blonde suggested as they walked down the road.

Kakashi’s raised his eyebrows, wanting someone to elaborate. Instead Mei spoke up, “absolutely not.”

Kaori pouted. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

“What’s the wave game?” Kakashi asked but Mei had grasped Kaori’s hand and was dragging her away from him. When they were out of earshot, Mei rounded on her friend.

“What are you doing? Do you want him to think I’m insane?” Mei hadn’t understood what Kaori was getting at by hanging around during Kakashi’s visit but it was becoming nothing short of embarrassing.

“I was the one to suggest it, not you,” Kaori replied innocently. “Besides, it’s about time I test this guy of yours out.”

“I would have thought his reputation would have been enough,” Mei replied, crossing her arms. “Or my word, or the fact that he’s Hokage.” She counted the reasons off on her fingers as she listed them. 

Kaori shrugged, “that has nothing to do with whether or not he’s good for you or can keep up.”

Mei arched an eyebrow. “Is that what this is about? Your approval?”

“It wouldn’t hurt would it?” Kaori wiggled her eyebrows at her friend.

Mei groaned and covered her green eyes with a hand. “If he agrees and we do this, will you stop pestering me about him?”

“Nope.” Kaori grinned. “But let’s be honest, you want to show off a bit for him don’t you?”

“Not if it means drowning him,” Mei hissed.

Kaori frowned and then shrugged nonchalantly. “Those old rules certainly won’t apply.”

Kaori started to walk back to Kakashi but Mei stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Kaori, I mean it. Don’t drown my boyfriend.”

Kaori grinned mischievously in response.

Mei added, “and no accidents. We have a dinner date later.”

Kaori sighed. “Fine.”

They walked back over to Kakashi. Mei answered Kakashi’s question as if they’d never been interrupted. “The ‘wave game’ is a children’s game played here in the Mist. It’s best played on the ocean. I can explain the rules on the move.”

“Alright,” Kakashi said tentatively. He wondered what the girls had stepped aside to discuss.

“We should be the only three players since Mei doesn’t want to embarrass you,” Kaori said helpfully as they left the village behind at a sprint.

Mei glared over at her. “I said no such thing.”

“It makes sense, I’m not going to be as good at a Mist children’s game as you two. I’ll probably make a pretty bad show of it,” Kakashi said peacefully.

Mei smiled at him. “You’ll do just fine.”

“So the rules are simple,” Kaori leapt between the two to keep them from making eyes at each other. “Water jutsu only. No physical contact, no other elements, no tools, no bloodlines,” Mei stuck her tongue out at her friend, “no excuses.”

“What’s the object of the game?” Kakashi asked.

“Last ninja standing wins,” Mei supplied.

Kaori grinned as she voiced her own response, “drown all other competitors.”

Kakashi almost ground to a halt but a boulder in the road gave him an excuse to use an extra leap to keep up. “I’m sorry, you said this was a children’s game?”

Kaori was grinning a lot that day. It was starting to make Kakashi uncomfortable.

“It taught out-of-the-box thinking and strategic fighting on the water,” Mei justified even as her heart sank. Her embarrassment was turning to dread. Kakashi was surely going to be scared off by this. Things had been going so well too. 

Eventually they reached the shore and ran out onto the ocean, the waves giving them little trouble. “This game is also about stamina,” Kaori said, winking at her friend.

Mei was starting to wonder what had gotten into Kaori. It wasn’t unusual for the blonde to tease Mei about Kakashi but this was getting to be a bit much. Not to mention Kaori had never done it this much in front of the Hokage before.

“I had gathered,” Kakashi deadpanned, estimating how long he could continuously stand on the ocean surface while also performing jutsu and dodging their attacks. His chances were not good. His options included: allying with Mei, ending things quickly, or resigning once he’d proved himself.

“And no alliances,” Kaori said, eyeing the couple.

Kakashi smiled. “Kaori, it hurts me that you would accuse me of such a thing. Mei on the other hand,” he glanced at Mei suspiciously.

Mei rolled her eyes at Kakashi’s joke to cover her growing anxiety. Kakashi would know if she was holding back on account of him. There was nothing for it but to do her best. At that point they were about a mile out from shore where the continental shelf ended and the water deepened. “Shall we begin?”

The three squared off against each other, forming a triangle. No one moved at first, sizing each other up.

Soon enough Kaori tired of waiting and her hands whipped through some signs. Water shuriken appeared in her hands and she flung them at Kakashi and Mei just to get the ball rolling.

Kakashi dodged and rolled, moving his hands through signs of his own as he went.

Mei pulled up a water shield and the shuriken splashed into the barrier without effect. Mei countered with a wave of her hand. A swell that had just passed the Mizukage surged toward the blonde.

Kaori jumped out of the way of Mei’s wave only to be confronted by a slice of water thrown by Kakashi. She hastily pulled up a water wall and the jet lost its momentum.

While her opponents had been distracted, Mei formed a water whip and she flicked it out toward Kakashi, throwing him back. Kaori laughed. “What? He isn’t used to that by now Mei?” Kaori got her answer in the form of a water whip to her own face. Kaori spun with the blow and landed in a crouch. Once her head was clear she put her hands into the water and focused.

Mei was weaving more hand signs when a small water dragon darted out of the water toward her. Mei called up water armor to coat her arm and, specifically, her fist. She swung around and punched the water dragon. The translucent serpent’s head disappeared with a splash. After having dealt that blow, Mei finished her hand signs. Mist rose up from the ocean surface, obscuring everyone’s vision.

Kakashi grew cautious and did not move as the mist covered their area. He prepared a water wall to shield himself and waited. However, Kaori’s shout caught his attention as it cut through the obscuring fog.

“No hiding, Mei!” Kaori accused. The mist droplets condensed midair and visibility improved slightly as Kaori countered Mei’s mist. The newly formed droplets shot down as projectiles toward Kakashi and Mei. Mei’s hands moved gracefully once again and four pillars of water rose out of the ocean to protect her from the rain of death. 

Kakashi simply looked up at the numberless projectiles and released the chakra in his feet that kept him on top of the water. Gravity took hold and Kakashi plunged feet first into the ocean just before the droplets hit. Kaori’s droplets bounced harmlessly on the ocean surface.

“Big mistake Hatake,” Kaori panted. Kaori focused her chakra and the water near where Kakashi had recently submerged began to churn and swirl into a drowning whirlpool.

That’s when Mei attacked, fangs of water springing out at Kaori. Kaori jumped away, losing her connection with her own jutsu. The whirlpool dissipated but Kakashi was still nowhere in sight.

Mei glanced around for him too late. The water underneath her surged and a pillar of water shot her into the air. Thinking quickly, Mei weaved some hand signs and pulled a wave of water up to her. She landed on it smoothly and rode the wave, driving it straight toward Kaori.

“Hey, it wasn’t me,” Kaori exclaimed as she ran from Mei’s approaching wave. Having given herself enough time to weave signs of her own, Kaori turned and her wave of water rose to meet Mei’s, which had begun to lose steam. Kaori’s wave crashed into the Mizukage’s, swallowing up the wave and its caster.

As Mei staggered out of the ocean Kaori prepared a water prison. She was waylaid by Kakashi who had shaped a senbon out of water and launched it at the kunoichi. Kaori dodged the projectile using jets of water against her feet to accelerate her movement. However, the second she was away from her chakra infused water, a pillar of water pushed her up into the air. Kaori turned mid-air, contemplating how to work her landing into an attack, when she saw Kakashi above her with a fast-moving torrent of water in his hand. He headed straight for her. Unable to dodge, Kakashi slammed the spiraling water into the Mist kunoichi, slamming Kaori into the ocean below.

Kaori picked herself up as Kakashi landed. Mei used her chakra to slide the water under Kakashi’s feet to trip him. He caught himself easily and glanced at her. Seeing Mei smiling at him, Kakashi eye-smiled in return. 

Kaori caught sight of their flirtatious exchange and frowned. “Alright Hatake, how about this?” Kaori shouted. Her hands weaved a new combination and five water sharks morphed into existence. The sharks surged toward Kakashi. Kaori smiled as Kakashi formed his own signs. “What are you going to do now Copy Ninja?”

Directly in front of Kakashi the water began to rise. The mass of liquid morphed into a wolf the size of a house. Kaori’s eyes grew wide and she took a step back. The wolf batted two of the sharks into puddles and its massive jaws clamped down on the other three. Kakashi stood behind it, hands clasped together. “I believe you meant to say, ‘Hokage’.”

The wolf sank back into the waves once more and Kakashi had to roll aside to avoid a water tornado loosed by Mei. Despite his banter Kakashi was running out of steam. He was going to have to end this quickly or accept defeat.

Kaori didn’t seem to be doing much better despite her superior chakra reserves. She was panting and some of her hair had shaken loose from her ponytail. She avoided Mei’s water vortex and turned her attention to Kakashi, who just stood there, catching his breath. Kaori grinned. Focusing her chakra, the Mist kunoichi created an orb of water before her. The orb then emitted several snakes of water that lashed out at Mei and Kakashi but mostly the latter.

Having successfully struck Kakashi down, Kaori focused her attention on him. She had already laden the water around her with chakra and sent it surging toward him. The water then surged over him like a blanket, weighing him down. It was like a water prison, but its purpose was simply to keep the victim under water.

Kakashi struggled to rise but Kaori’s water kept him submerged. Kaori increased the weight of the water, holding Kakashi down. He thrashed but was unable to break free of her jutsu, at least not long enough to take a breath. 

Mei, who had stopped her assault to take a breath herself, grew concerned. “Kaori, that’s enough.”

Kaori continued the pressure, waiting for Kakashi to yield.

Mei formed a single sign and pushed at the water beneath her, sending a fast moving wave toward Kaori. It wouldn’t do much but it was enough to knock Kaori down to break the blonde’s concentration. Even as Mei sent the wave on its way her eyes widened.

A second Kakashi jumped from the water on the other side of Kaori, poised and ready to strike. Mei glanced back at the Kakashi caught in Kaori’s jutsu, the decoy water clone had dispelled into yet more water.

Kaori turned her head to look at him in shock just in time to see Kakashi’s attack. He threw out his hand in an arc, sending a scythe of water at the blonde. The curve of water sliced through the air on target and Kakashi glanced around for the real Kaori. But water clones don’t bleed.

Kakashi’s attack hit Kaori from behind, cutting through the end of her ponytail, through her armor, and into her back across her shoulders. As the blood flew Kakashi turned back, eyes widening as they caught sight of the red spray and severed blonde locks. Less than a second later, Mei’s wave hit her friend in the legs. The two attacks together knocked Kaori heels over head and face first into the water with a sickening splat. 

Kakashi fell back to the ocean surface with a small splash and he dashed for the woman.

“Kaori,” Mei cried, also hurrying toward the blonde’s limp body.

Kakashi got to her first and had to bend low to reach Kaori’s sinking form. He grasped the kunoichi around the waist and hauled her back to the surface as Mei arrived. Kakashi cradled the still kunoichi in his arms. “Mei, I didn’t-”

“I know,” Mei said dismissively. She reached for her friends face to tilt her head up so she could see, simultaneously checking for a pulse. “Kaori?” Mei lightly slapped her friends pale face.

The blonde’s eyes fluttered open and she immediately winced. Then she looked from Kakashi’s pale face to Mei’s. “I thought I said no alliances,” she groaned out. 

Kakashi almost burst into an apology when Mei cut him off. Her voice held no remorse, “I thought I told you not to drown my boyfriend.”

Kaori took a deep breath for a retort but it stretched the laceration on her back and she grimaced. “Didn’t think you had that in you Hatake.”

“Thought you were a clone,” Kakashi explained ruefully. It wasn’t exactly an apology but Kaori wasn’t asking for one.

“We need to move,” Mei said, eyeing the red that Kaori was dripping into the ocean. “Kaori is going to attract some unwelcome guests.”

Kakashi stood up, Kaori still in his arms. She shifted awkwardly. “I can walk Kakashi.”

“You’ve used too much chakra and you’re injured,” Mei said. “Besides, if you were really fine you wouldn’t have allowed Kakashi to pick you up in the first place.” Mei squinted at the shore and then at Kakashi. “Kakashi, have you used the water flume jutsu before?”

“What?”

“Oh no,” Kaori said. She unconsciously put her arms around Kakashi’s shoulders to hold on.

“Just stay upright,” Mei advised, weaving signs.

Kakashi held on to Kaori tightly and prepared himself for the unknown. He felt real sharks in the peripherals of his awareness.

Suddenly a swirl of water appeared around them, much like a water cyclone but horizontal and arching over them. Then, as Mei widened out her hands, the flume lengthened and stretched. Kakashi felt the water beneath his feet churn.

“Hold on,” Kaori advised. Kakashi wasn’t sure to what he was supposed to hold. He already felt like he was cutting off his charge’s circulation.

The pressure suddenly changed behind them as the water surged and the three shot forward like bullets through the flume. Instead of standing Kakashi was now skiing on top of the water with the chakra on his feet the only thing keeping him above the forceful water. Kaori tensed up in his arms and then it was over. They were deposited in the shallows near the beach. Their deceleration was abrupt but Mei caught Kakashi in her arms before he could fly forward and land face-first in the sand. He would have rather eaten sand than drop Kaori to catch himself.

Said blonde groaned. “Did you have to do that?”

Mei grinned, her face was red and her eyes glittered. Kakashi caught himself admiring that unbridled joy but looked away before he was caught. Mei soon became somber again and seriously she replied, “there were sharks coming.”

Kaori grunted. “Whatever.” They stepped onto the beach and, after setting the kunoichi down, Kakashi pulled out his medical kit. “You won’t need that Kakashi.”

The Hokage looked at the laceration that stretched from one of her shoulders to the other. “But your wound,” he protested.

“Salt water cleans everything in the end,” Kaori recited.

Kakashi’s eyebrows went up. “Is that some sort of Mist Village logic?”

“It’s an old adage, yes,” Mei replied. She raised an eyebrow at Kaori. “Let the man clean your wound.”

Kaori grudgingly agreed and afterward they headed back to the village at a much slower pace than they’d left it.

“Well Mei,” Kaori joked from her position in Kakashi’s arms. “He might be good for you after all.”

Kakashi sighed. “Was that what this was about?”

“No,” Mei said.

“Yes,” Kaori beamed.

Kakashi glared down at the blonde. “I could make you walk you know?”

Kaori pouted and tried kicking her feet. Her legs were folded over Kakashi’s left arm and her feet dangled uselessly. “I don’t know, your girlfriend hit me pretty hard. I’m not sure if I can support my own weight. I might have to take a nap to recover my strength.” Kaori leaned her head on Kakashi’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

Kakashi rolled his eyes over to Mei who was giving Kaori a cold glare. Their eyes met. “Do I have to carry her?”

Mei grinned. “We could always say she died in a training accident.”

Kaori jumped out of Kakashi’s arms. Her landing was a bit unbalanced but she righted herself. She glanced at her own back with a scowl. “That’s going to sting for awhile.”

“Kaori, are you always this much trouble?” Kakashi asked.

“Yes,” Mei replied without hesitation.

Kaori pouted at Mei but then she turned to Kakashi. “When my best friend’s happiness is at stake, always.”

Kakashi eye-smiled at her. “Good.” 


	36. The Talk

The next morning was a late start for nearly everyone due to the festival. The guards returning from night duty would find that, at their normal early hour, nearly all businesses were closed.

As the sun climbed higher into the sky, the people of the village roused themselves. Slowly the stores reopened, some owners still counting the money made the previous evening. A tall shadow passed them and they didn’t spare a glance at the Sixth Hokage as he made his way down the street. Just as they were intent on their business, he was intent on his.

Kakashi had been up early, staring at the ceiling, turning the issues over in his mind that he and Mei would discuss that day. With a laugh he realized that the meeting felt like a kage summit, only they were discussing their personal future rather than the future of their villages. Somehow, this seemed more daunting.

The outwardly relaxed jonin rounded the corner and arrived at Mei’s hotel. It was a nicer place in the downtown area, just a few blocks from Hokage Tower. The Tower had been so packed that Kakashi had stayed in his jonin apartment that weekend, offering his Spartan, retired Hokage room to a diplomat that Naruto had befriended. Kakashi didn’t mind, he was glad to have gone home the previous night without interference or eyes watching him. The last thing he wanted was to answer a hundred questions when he already had so much on his mind. _Being a boyfriend is more difficult than being Hokage, imagine that,_ he mused as he approached Mei’s door.

For a moment Kakashi stopped, fist poised to knock. _What if Mei’s not up this early? What if I wake her?_ His hand fell to his side as he considered this new complication. _Should I have brought breakfast? I should have brought breakfast._ He turned to leave, already contemplating what places would be open nearby, when the door flew open. Mei stood there, back in her usual blue dress. Her hair remained in a braid.

They stared at each other for a moment until Kakashi spat out, as calm as he could, “good morning.” He waved two fingers at her with a twist of his wrist.

Mei smiled, “good morning. Sleep well?”

“Yes.”

The pleasantries were past and now they both just shuffled their feet. Finally Kakashi continued, “are you hungry?”

“Yes,” Mei replied, grasping her shoes before Kakashi even invited her out. As it turns out, festival food isn’t that filling, or nutritious. Despite what they’d both been thinking about all night, they were famished. However, Mei had hesitated to leave the room in case Kakashi came by. “I felt you coming,” Mei added, as explanation for her opening the door before he even knocked.

“I presumed,” Kakashi replied. 

Mei hesitated at the door, sandals in hand. Kakashi stepped aside and she popped her shoes on and locked her door.

The two strode down the road parallel to main street that carried the majority of restaurants. Their eyes drifted from one place to another, not paying attention to the stores that remained dark from the night before. They picked a place at random, neither much caring for where they ate so much as they did so, and soon. They were seated quickly, there weren’t that many people awake just yet, and chose from their menus before the hostess departed.

Folding her hands on the table, Mei said, “so.”

“So,” Kakashi echoed, when she didn’t continue.

Mei smiled and leaned back. “Do you really want to do this?”

Kakashi smiled under his mask, “a promise is a promise.”

“That’s not what I asked though,” Mei leaned forward again. “If this makes you uncomfortable, we can put it off.”

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, “honestly, putting it off will make me even more uncomfortable.” They watched each other thoughtfully for several minutes. The waitress brought their breakfast and then departed, not to return unless they called for her. Kakashi maneuvered his chopsticks, gathering a large mouthful of fish and rice. Right before putting it in his mouth he said, “I want children.”

Mei’s eyes shot up, her fish dropping from her own chopsticks. Kakashi chewed happily as he watched Mei stare, her jewel eyes watching him. Finally she blinked and then smiled, getting over his sudden declaration. There was no reason she should be shocked, this was what they’d wanted to discuss after all. “So do I,” Mei added. Kakashi was still chewing so she went on, “but how many?”

Kakashi, still not having swallowed, raised four fingers.

Mei’s eyes popped. “Four? You want four?!”

The Sixth Hokage swallowed, “it’s a good, round number.”

“So is two,” Mei protested. “I was thinking three, tops. What if you’re out of town? Or what if I am? We only have a pair of hands each.”

Kakashi shrugged, “shadow clones.” He took another bite.

Mei restrained herself from rolling her eyes. “As if we should raise our children with clones. Other ideas?”

“It wouldn’t be _with_ clones but with the _help_ of clones.” He herded more rice together on his plate. “If you know of a practical way to gain more hands, without involving Orochimaru levels of experimentation, I would love to hear it,” Kakashi said as he took another bite. Mei stewed on this as she chewed. 

“No more than three Kakashi, we’ll have to protect our children as well as raise them. That will be a handful in and of itself,” Mei added.

Kakashi nodded, agreeing, “no more than three.”

“Where will they live?” Mei asked quietly.

Kakashi knew the question behind the one she was asking. What village would their children serve? Typically, in a mixed village relationship, the children would default to the father’s village. However, Kakashi wouldn’t put that pressure on Mei. The Mist meant just as much to her as the Leaf did to him. He wouldn’t make her give up her village for him. However, he was also a Hokage and the last of the Hatake clan. He could not simply move his clan to the Mist, much less rebuild it anywhere besides the Leaf. Even with Naruto as Hokage, only so many rules would be bent for the last Hatake. Not to mention that any offspring of Mei’s could inherit a bloodline trait. The idea of the fight over that alone was enough to give Kakashi a headache. 

Kakashi sighed. “I don’t know. We could move to the neutral territory?”

Mei shook her head, corralling some rice with her chopsticks. “Too much red tape when we go to enroll them in an academy. Next idea.” She took a bite.

“We could…start a new village entirely?” Kakashi offered.

Mei snorted. “Be serious. What would we call it? The Hidden Hatake Village?”

Kakashi grasped his chin, “that does have a nice ring to it. We’d have to have at least four children to start a village though. I’m pretty sure there are minimum population limits for declaring a ninja village.”

Mei rolled her eyes. She ignored Kakashi’s speculation and moved on. “We could travel between the two, raise them in both?”

Kakashi released his chin and turned thoughtful again. “We could but then we wouldn’t have a permanent home. There’s also, again, the academy to consider.”

Mei nodded. “I always got the impression that it was less of where you’re born and more what academy you graduated from that determined your loyalty. It’s the same in the Leaf?”

Kakashi nodded. They both were thoughtful for a time, each eating their breakfasts without noticing what they were doing. Their minds drifted back to their own academy days. Those were precious times, short and bloody though they’d been. 

“We could always move to another village entirely,” Kakashi mentioned. “As kage we have diplomatic immunity anywhere.”

“But our progeny do not,” Mei cut in.

“That we know of. Is there a precedent for two kage marrying?”

That comment made Mei freeze. They had discussed around, over, and under it, but marriage had never been discussed exactly. Now she looked at Kakashi and realized that he hadn’t meant it as a proposal. It was just another idea, like where their children would live. _Another idea that is currently on the table,_ a part of Mei sang. _Don’t push it though, marriage is not something to be rushed into._ Mei nodded to herself. Then she realized that Kakashi hadn’t been asking a rhetorical question. When she looked up he was gazing at her, awaiting a reply. “Not that I know of,” Mei spoke disjointedly.

Kakashi nodded, ignoring the way Mei had frozen when he’d mentioned marriage. _Was she excited by the idea or terrified?_ It was impossible for him to know. 

Mei suddenly grinned. She shook her head and took a drink. “I just can’t believe we’re discussing this.”

Kakashi raised his eyebrows, something tore at his heart. “Were you not serious about this?”

Mei saw the hurt expression on his face and her smile dropped. “Of course, of course I am! I just, never thought this would happen to me.”

“What?” Kakashi prompted when she did not go on.

Mei laughed out loud, gesturing around her. “This! Going out to breakfast the day after a festival and discussing my future with the man I love.” Her voice got quieter as she said this, less giddy and more blissful.

Kakashi tried not to blush, he really did try, but it was impossible. He scratched his face and sought for something to fix his eyes on. However, they just kept roving back to Mei. She smiled at him.

“You’re even cuter when you blush,” she commented.

The Sixth Hokage’s color darkened to an alarming shade. Mei simply laughed and looked away, giving him time to recover. “Check please,” Kakashi called out in a strangled voice. The waiter arrived a few moments later. She gave the couple a confused look before parting.

“So,” Mei said once they were out of the restaurant, “what do you want to do today? Now that practically the whole village knows we’re dating, we could do anything.” Her voice was chipper and full of enthusiasm. “Maybe even dance?” 

Kakashi sighed, ignoring Mei’s teasing. “I don’t know, take a nap?”

Mei smiled slyly. “No need to be so forward Kakashi.”

He looked at her in confusion. “No, I mean, ugh.” Kakashi hung his head. _I really just want to take a nap._

Mei couldn’t help but pity him with that pathetic look on his face. “Really, is that what you’d like?”

Kakashi scratched his head. Mei probably didn’t want to sleep more since they had such a limited amount of time together. Every time one of them visited the other it was precious time. They spent every waking moment, and some sleeping moments, together. “We don’t have to. Didn’t you say you wanted to go shopping with me today since you went yourself last time?”

Mei looked at her boyfriend, the Sixth Hokage, and smiled. “You know, let’s take a nap. We had a pretty busy morning what with discussing our children.”

Kakashi snorted.

“By the way,” Mei suddenly said, remembering something from the night before. “How much time does the Leaf spend in teaching seduction techniques to their ninja? Is that something a jonin sensei does or do the academy instructors do it?”

Kakashi froze, startled by the change in topic. “Why would you ask that?” The second part of her question especially had made his brain go down a road that he did not wish to travel. His mind had jammed with several opposing reactions. The two dominating ones were, the idea that he may have had to, at any point, teach Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto seduction techniques. He shuddered. The other reaction was him wondering if Mei had been using her own techniques on him and how that disturbed him. Or worse yet, did she think he’d been using his on her? What did that say about him? Then the mental image of himself trying to explain to Naruto how to properly seduce a mark shoved its way into the Hatake’s brain. He felt nauseous.

“It’s just that last night,” Mei stopped. “Kakashi are you alright?” She put a hand to his forehead. He’d gone white as a sheet. “Kakashi? Hey!” She shook him a bit and he blinked. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to sit down,” was all Kakashi said.

The blood rushed from Mei’s face. “Alright,” she tried to remain calm. Mei glanced around for a bench. Seeing none, she looked for something familiar on the street, maybe they were near her hotel? _Yes!_ “You can sit down in my room alright? Do you need to go to the hospital? Was it something we ate?”

He glanced sideways at her. He shook his head both to clear it and in answer to her question. “No I just, no,” he took a breath and tried to answer her question as best he could. “We teach seduction on a case by case basis. It’s typically not brought up at all, especially not by jonin sensei to their genin.” He shuddered again. It had been bad enough giving Sasuke and Naruto “the talk”. Kakashi suddenly wondered why he wanted to be a father again? 

“Oh,” Mei laughed, “I didn’t even think about your genin. No, that would have been awkward for you.”

“Was it something I did?” Kakashi asked half to himself as they entered Mei’s room. His brain swirled with questions. It appeared he and Mei would have plenty to talk about for some time. _Between marriage, children, now seduction? How did we get here again?_

Mei frowned at him. He sat on the bed as she closed the door. “What do you mean?” It took her a second but then Mei’s eyes widened. Mei realized that Kakashi thought she was implying that the seduction question had come up on account of him. “Oh no, no it wasn’t you. That Leaf jonin last night, he was trying to flirt with me and I had wondered if he was using Leaf techniques or just making it up.”

Kakashi’s eyes narrowed. His mind was suddenly clear, all other emotions swept away save for one. He still looked pale but there was a glint in his eye. “What exactly did he say to you?”

Mei waved a hand. “Oh I don’t remember. It was something silly, that’s what made me wonder.” She took in his tense look. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“What did he say exactly?” Kakashi asked again. He tried to shrug nonchalantly but it didn’t quite work. His eyes were too serious. “I can find out that way and be able to answer your question more effectively.”

Mei opened her mouth to answer but it turned up in a smile. “I don’t think it matters, why don’t we take that nap you spoke about earlier?”

Kakashi had a look like he wanted to access that Leaf ninja’s file, and possibly send him on a long mission to the Land of Snow. He’d make up some excuse to tell Naruto. The Seventh would believe him, it’d be all too easy.

Mei interrupted his scheming thoughts with a hand on his cheek. “Hey, you still with me?”

Instead of smiling in return, Kakashi said, “let me know if you experience any more ‘seduction techniques’ from Leaf ninja…or from any ninja for that matter.”

Mei raised an eyebrow. “And since when can I not take care of myself?” Mei smiled. “You really are tired. I’ve never seen you this jealous.” Mei snaked an arm around him and pulled him to the bed. “Nap time, come on.”

“Let me just write down his name, have Shikamaru look up his serial number,” Kakashi said, brow still angry. He reached for the pen and paper on the nightstand. 

“Rest,” Mei ordered, pulling his hand away from the table. “Jealousy is unbecoming of you, besides unnecessary.”

Kakashi grumbled something but he laid down. Mei snuggled up to him and sighed. “I had a wonderful time last night. I don’t think I ever got around to telling you.”

Kakashi smiled, holding her close. He could certainly get used to sleeping like this. “I did too.”


	37. Rescue Reversal

Kakashi walked into the small, square office and knew something wasn’t right. He could feel it in his bones. The Hokage glanced behind him as he heard the door snap shut and a bolt slide home. He raised his eyebrow at the door lock.

_Okay,_ he thought, _that definitely isn’t normal._ Then a voice in front of him redirected his attention.

“Hatake Kakashi, I have you at last.”

Kakashi turned a pair of lazy eyes forward where a ninja appeared behind the lone piece of furniture, a desk. The man wore an outfit that, in Kakashi’s opinion, had far too many leather straps. I mean really, what could they all be for?

“I suppose you’re wondering who I am?” The man continued, his bald head shining in the overhead lights. His large grin was missing a few teeth toward the back.

Kakashi shrugged in his white kage robe, “not really.” He was getting too old for this.

The man’s smile turned to a grimace but he didn’t reply immediately. Instead he knocked on the wall behind him. “Your funeral really,” the man said, “it’s just going to come that much sooner.”

“Well, I am nearly 70 now,” Kakashi commented idly. He watched the man with cold calculation.

The man scoffed, not fooled for a moment. “Take him,” the man cried. Six other ninja rushed into the room, all in black with cloth masks obscuring everything but their eyes. Two of them grasped Kakashi by the arms. He shook them off, indicating that he’d go without a fuss. Despite this, they bound his hands with chakra cuffs that encircled his wrists. 

They soon stepped out into the light of the street. The newly formed village had several wooden huts built behind a much more serious looking barrier. _No wonder Naruto wanted me to check this place out_ , Kakashi mused as one of the men pushed him along to go a little faster. He ignored the guard, biding his time.

The guards led him to a scaffolding in the middle of the street. Several other henchpeople with swords waited for them. A crowd was gathering around the rickety structure.

_A public execution? But why?_ Kakashi thought as they led him along. From the corner of Kakashi’s eye, he saw someone walking off to his left. There was something about that gait that caused a deep thrum of familiarity to flow through him at the sight of it. The person was in a cloak but it didn’t matter. For good measure, a familiar chakra signature popped into Kakashi’s awareness, just for a moment, before it was masked once more. _Well this certainly complicates things._ He repressed a sigh and adjusted his plans.

There was more shoving to get the retired Hokage onto the platform steps but Kakashi took it patiently. He would go along but he was not going to fall on his face due to their hurrying him. He was aging, he could break a hip! Kakashi mentally chuckled until they reached the top of the stairs. He was shoved into the center of the group with swords.

Kakashi eyed them but did not show any concern. The hooded figure in the crowd caught his attention again as it moved closer to the dais. Kakashi side glanced at the cloaked ninja but did not stare. The man with the overly strappy outfit began to speak.

“My people, I bring before you the Sixth Hokage. The glorious Seventh has sent him to us. However, we have to let the Hero of the Leaf know that we want the real him. Only he can lead us and only he can cow us. For we do his work and wish only to be recognized by him.”

_You were recognized alright,_ Kakashi thought. His mind flashed back to the conversation he and Naruto had had in the Leaf.

_“Their village is called The Village Hidden in Noodles?” Naruto asked. “That’s really neat.” He frowned however. “What’s their motive?”_

_Shikamaru, never far from the Hokage’s side, shook his head. “We don’t know. They founded their village less than six months ago on the border of the Land of Fire.”_

_Naruto looked at his old sensei. Kakashi stared evenly back. “Sensei, would you go and check them out? See if they’re up to anything and possibly start negotiations with them. They should know they can’t start a village that close to the capital.”_

Kakashi had agreed and arrived in the village days later in his official dignitary garb, only to be apprehended and imprisoned. Now he was staring out at the half fearful, half gleeful expressions of the people of this meager village. The hooded man Kakashi had noticed earlier edged closer and closer to the stage. The retired Hokage watched him out of the corner of his eye. Kakashi bent his knees and waited. The bald man was finishing up his speech.

“And so, we will strike the Sixth Hokage down to further glorify his successor, who has no equal!” The man threw his fist in the air. Some of the people followed suit while others simply shifted in place nervously.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. It hadn’t exactly been a rousing speech. Then his focus shifted to the guards around him. They raised their swords. The hooded figure jumped onto the dais and Kakashi ducked.

The figure knocked the swordsman away with one whirlwind kick, they scattered like autumn leaves in a breeze. Kakashi shifted so that he was back to back with the cloaked figure. “Exit?” Was all the Hokage asked. Then he shoved his shoulder into the younger man’s back to throw him off balance.

The other man growled at the interference even as a shuriken missed him by inches. “Alley on the left,” he grunted out.

Kakashi glanced to his left and pivoted, kicking a masked henchman out of his way. “I see it,” he acknowledged, “you make the call.”

The hood flicked toward the elder for a split second in surprise before saying, “now!” They sprung off the platform together, the force actually making the structure collapse.

The young man spread his arms to balance as he fell, making the cloak float out behind him like a cape. Kakashi took extra care to match the other’s landing despite his hands still being restrained. Then they were dashing through the gaps between huts. A graceful leap later and they were over the wall.

They were being pursued and the young man began to form hand signs. Kakashi coughed and pointedly looked at his own hands. It was awkward to run with your hands bound after all. The young man grinned, his canines showing. “What? Can’t get out of those yourself?”

The familiar teasing tone reminded the Hokage so much of his wife. Kakashi struggled not to roll his eyes at the comment. “I could, but it would be a lot faster if you did it.”

The hooded figure slowed and then they slipped into cover, the leaves instantly stilling around them as if they’d never passed that way. Kakashi held out his hands. A pale hand extended out of the robe and with a spark of lightning, the manacles shattered and fell to the forest floor.

“You knew it was me,” Roka accused as he lowered his hood. His silver hair was shaggy and attempting to fall forward and cover his Allied Shinobi Forces headband. Roka pushed it back with a distracted hand to keep it out of his eyes.

“Are you supposed to be wearing a disguise?” Kakashi whispered back.

Roka looked down, and then back up again. “I’m wearing a cloak,” he defended.

“But you didn’t disguise your voice or smell or-”

“Okay Dad, I get it,” Roka cut him off, irritated. “But what gave me away first?”

Kakashi eye-smiled, “your walk.”

“What? Not my smell?”

“The wind was blowing the other way,” Kakashi grunted.

“Or you’re getting senile old man,” the young man grinned. “Besides, I wanted to be sure _you_ saw me. No one else could pick me out by how I walk.”

“In that case, I’m insulted by all the clues you gave me,” Kakashi replied. They both continued to watch the road.

“I saved your life you know,” Roka said, throwing his trump card in.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow and turned to his eldest son, “was that what that was?” Roka could see the smile under his mask.

“They were going to kill you!” Roka protested, for the first time revealing the concern he’d felt.

“I had it under control,” Kakashi replied evenly, looking back toward the road. “You could have gotten hurt, that was reckless.”

Roka had about twenty retorts for that one sentence. They ranged from how Kakashi was reckless, and had been for as long as Roka could remember, to the fact that Roka himself was no longer a child in need of protection. The young man held his protestations back, this was not the time.

Twin heads of silver watched the road, spreading out their senses for the pursuing ninja. When they were sure the last of them had raced past their hiding spot, the two crept deeper into the forest and then took to the trees.

“What are you doing here anyway?” Kakashi asked as he leapt from tree to tree.

Roka snorted. “As luck would have it, I was passing through on my way back from a mission.”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow skeptically. “From what village?” Roka hesitated and Kakashi pounced. “Don’t lie.”

“Who said I was going to lie?”

“You were thinking up an excuse, illuminating possibilities to come up with the best lie. I know, I taught you how to do that.”

“You didn’t teach me everything Dad, some things I just worked out myself you know?”

Kakashi allowed the point. He hadn’t taught his children everything they knew but he was still proud of them.

They leapt on for another minute or two before Roka confessed, “I shadowed you.”

Kakashi was silent for a moment. “Why?”

“Uncle Naruto didn’t ask me to, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Roka avoided the question, but Kakashi had far more experience in that area.

“I wasn’t.” Kakashi repeated, “why?”

Roka was silent.

The elder laughed lightly. “I’m still perfectly capable of taking care of myself Roka.”

“Dad, you’re 65,” Roka trailed off.

Kakashi snorted. “Do you know how old the Third Hokage was when he died protecting the village? I have plenty of life left in me. Don’t you worry about that.”

“And yet Uncle Naruto is the Hokage, not you,” Roka retorted.

Kakashi smiled. “Naruto surpassed me long before you were even born. I certainly wasn’t going to make him wait. Besides, those were different times.”

Roka stared grimly ahead. Different times that Roka constantly heard about but didn’t understand. It all seemed so mythical, unreal and distant. Roka knew who his father was. He’d seen him fight, saw his kindness, felt the love in their home while growing up. He knew his father had once been among the top shinobi in the world. And yet, Roka turned and looked at his aging father.

He knew they looked alike, everyone said so. But the crow’s feet and creases on his father’s forehead belied his years of experience. Whereas Roka, in his early twenties, could finally step into adulthood. He just wished he didn’t have to do it in his father’s shadow. But Roka only ever saw the shadow and not the mythical Hokage who cast it. Hatake Kakashi was his father; Naruto was the Hokage. The fact that his father had been a previous Hokage always seemed to be at odds with the man who raised him in Roka’s mind.

“Roka,” Kakashi spoke his name sharply and the ninja tensed. A quick glance showed what he should have realized. They were surrounded.

Both men jumped to the ground and immediately went back to back. “Thought you’d get away from us that easily?” A voice came out of the shadows.

The Hatakes remained silent, hands loose. They waited.

“Give up now and we’ll let your son go,” a stronger voice called. Kakashi recognized it as the bald man’s voice.

Roka froze, then his eyes narrowed and his hand flexed. “Dad,” he whispered in warning.

However, Kakashi knew his son. He chuckled, calling back. “Clearly you don’t know him very well.” The lightness in his voice dropped out. “You’d be dead before we moved two steps.”

Roka felt warm pride in his chest. Slowly, he put his hands to his head. The goons thought he might be surrendering, but he only pulled his shaggy hair back into a stub of a ponytail. “Have any kunai?” Roka whispered.

“Two,” Kakashi replied. “What are you thinking?” He was cut off by a kunai being thrown at his face. Kakashi deflected it with one of his own. There was a cry among the enemy but Roka was already moving, Kakashi a half second behind him.

The bald man in the strappy outfit was halfway through telling off his subordinate for trying to kill the Hokage prematurely when Roka’s kunai found its way into his throat. The next man similarly went down without even realizing it. Roka charged ahead, Kakashi covering him from behind.

Roka dodged some shuriken. He realized a moment later that Kakashi was directly behind him. The younger Hatake whirled, grasping his father by the shoulder to shove him out of the way but the retired Hokage had already ducked. Instead, Kakashi grabbed Roka’s hand and widened his stance. Before he knew it, Roka was being thrown head over heels over his father’s shoulder to the ground. A fireball blew by a moment later, back lighting Kakashi as he braced himself against the pressure change around the flaming sphere. Kakashi dashed in front of his son to meet a ninja who’d jumped forward to take advantage of Roka’s surprise. The young Hatake stood in a rush, gritting his teeth.

“You shouldn’t get so riled up in a fight,” Kakashi chided. He dodged another attack without looking. “Especially one that’s so uneven.”

“Dad,” Roka complained. His hands flashed through some signs. Kakashi moved over to cover his son while he completed his jutsu. Purple lightning filled the clearing, shooting out from the Hatake men like they were a spoke on a wheel. With that, one fight was over. “Could you not critique me while I’m rescuing you?”

“I thought I already told you I didn’t need rescuing,” Kakashi replied. He was pulling his Hokage cloak closer around him to look for tears or holes.

“Then why are you hiding an injury,” Roka accused.

Kakashi looked up. “I’m not hiding anything.”

Roka crossed his arms, glaring at his father. “I’m not five, I can tell when you aren’t at full strength. What is it?”

Kakashi let his cloak hang loose, adjusting his posture to look bored. Roka reached out with a flat palm but Kakashi took a step back, his eyes were angry but his tone was neutral. The air of false hurt didn’t quite meet its mark. “Don’t you trust me?”

Roka frowned. “Not with this I don’t.” Anxiety filled him. “Are you hurt? Just tell me.”

“It’s-” Kakashi cut himself off. “It’s not that.”

More alarmed than ever, Roka stepped forward. Before his father could react, Roka’s palm was flat on Kakashi’s chest, medical chakra pooling around the area. Kakashi sighed, resigned. Roka’s eyes got huge, he glanced apprehensively down at his father’s hands. “Dad-”

“It’s nothing,” Kakashi said flatly.

“This isn’t nothing,” Roka replied in a whisper. “Does Aunt Sakura know?” His mind leapt in a different direction. “Does Mom?”

“Yes. No.”

“Why doesn’t Mom know?” Roka demanded. They’d begun to walk without either of them realizing it. The need to keep moving was too deeply engrained. “And why did Sakura allow Naruto to assign you this mission?”

“One thing at a time,” Kakashi responded. He knew Roka was getting upset if he forgot to address Naruto and Sakura as uncle and aunt. He hadn’t done that since his tween phase. “Sakura didn’t tell Naruto because I asked her not to,” Kakashi answered.

“Since when does she listen to you?” Roka demanded.

Kakashi sent his son a hurt look. “You’re getting ahead of yourself. It really isn’t as big of a deal as you’re making it out to be. And I haven’t told your mother because I just found out.”

“But you’ve suspected,” Roka accused.

“Why do you think I was in the Leaf?” Kakashi asked.

Roka nearly froze with shock. His father had willingly gone to seek out a physician.

When Roka had taken up medical ninjutsu as his focus, Mei and Kakashi had been proud. But Kakashi had been less than pleased about Roka wanting to give them checkups every time he was home from a mission. Having a medic in the family, besides Sakura, was definitely a plus. However, it was increasingly difficult for Kakashi to keep up his carefree façade around his son when said son could tell his father was injured. Little did the family head know that Roka had begun to see through that mask years before. Wanting to help and protect his family was one of the reasons Roka had taken up medical ninjutsu in the first place. When he discovered that his chakra control was especially suited for it, Roka continued his studies under Sakura.

“How long has this been going on?” Roka asked softly.

“A couple of years,” Kakashi replied. “It was subtle at first, just part of aging I guess.”

“Dad, this isn’t normal,” Roka protested again. It was one thing to joke about his father being old, it was quite another to be faced with the effects of said aging.

“Actually,” Kakashi replied, “you’d be surprised. I know most of the people you work on are younger ninja, in the field. But Sakura has been working with a lot of aging shinobi, and quirks like this are popping up more and more frequently. We just haven’t been living this long before. Your old master has been developing a lot of theories.

“Did you know Lady Chiyo probably had a split personality disorder from her extensive use of puppetry? And Lord Onoki had extensive nerve damage in his hands and arms?”

“Don’t change the subject,” Roka demanded. His voice softened. “Is that what you have? Nerve damage?”

Kakashi shook his head. “Not exactly, no.” He flexed his right hand.

“Can you feel them at all?” Roka asked apprehensively. “I mean-” He just realized that his father hadn’t used any jutsu the entire fight, used no hand signs.

Kakashi chuckled. “Quite the opposite, I wish I could feel them less. But,” he flexed his hand again, “no, they work well enough.” He shrugged. “It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before.”

Roka knew his father was referring to the drain his Sharingan used to put on him. This was another constant, albeit different, drain on his strength. After a thoughtful moment Roka asked, “and Lady Tsunade?”

Kakashi glanced over at his son. “You know how and why she died. I expect you to remember that in the future if and when you use that jutsu.”

“Yes sir,” Roka muttered, properly chastised. 

They continued on through the forest. Roka broke the silence again. “You promise to tell Mom the second you get home?”

Kakashi smiled under his mask. “Probably not the second I arrive, but I will tell her, yes.”

“Do you promise?”

Kakashi scoffed. “I tell your Mother everything.”

Roka raised an eyebrow. “Did you tell her about how the lightning struck her memorial tree for Ao?”

Kakashi’s eyes turned up in half-moons. He scratched at where his mask ended. “That tree was better for it. And I’ll tell her about that too.”

“That’s what you said ten years ago,” Roka grinned.

“You have an awfully long memory,” Kakashi replied.

Roka sobered. “Promise?”

Kakashi nodded and his eldest son was satisfied. Then Kakashi asked, “so when are you going to cut your hair?”

Roka groaned. 


	38. Picking Up the Pieces

“You shouldn’t have let them go ahead without us,” Mei muttered, irritated. “Something this important? We should have all gone together.” The rain poured down on the pair as they hurried after their comrades.

Ao grunted in response as they rushed through the dense forest. His short gray hair only just stuck up over the edge of his Mist ANBU mask. “What we should have done is stayed in the village. Who knows what will happen when we’re gone?”

Mei frowned. Things had been…difficult since the Mizukage revealed his grand plan.

The plan was bold, and completely idiotic, in Mei’s opinion. Several weeks back, Lord Yagura had revealed to his top jonin that a threat from the Leaf was imminent. The only way to stop the destruction of the Mist at the Leaf’s hands, he’d said, was for him to sacrifice himself.

The Fourth Mizukage had killed himself by releasing the tailed beast within him. In due course, the Three Tails manifested once again and the Mist ninja went to work. The Sealing Corps managed to reclaim the beast, sacrificing most of their master sealers in the fight to regain control. It had been a risky plan in the first place and now, Mei knew, it could not be repeated, they’d lost too many people.

What followed had been weeks of anarchy. The Mist ninja forces had been in disarray, battling amongst themselves while still attempting to maintain a front on the war in which the entire world was entrapped. A plan this risky at this late stage of the conflict, it would be a wonder if the Mist survived at all.

Many had thought that the Mizukage was mad, reckless with the lives of his soldiers and the Mist village in general. Ao and Mei had been planning a coup for months and gathering support, but the Mizukage’s proposal had brought everything to a grinding halt. The Fourth’s sudden will to sacrifice himself, and at such a young age, had brought hope back to their ranks. Despite what the Fourth had done in the past, people wanted to believe that he wouldn’t order them to do anything he wasn’t willing to do himself. Mei gritted her teeth at their folly. They couldn’t afford rash sacrifices, not at this time.

Still, there was no stopping the Mist ANBU now. They had carried out the Mizukage’s final order and sealed the beast into the Leaf chunin. Mei frowned every time she considered this part of the plan. The Mizukage had been very specific about _which_ Leaf ninja it was to be. Mei had assumed that he’d wanted to use the Yellow Flash’s own student as a way of twisting the knife in the wound. However, he had been adamant that they use the female. _Why? Wouldn’t the male have suited their purpose just as well?_

Ao suddenly slowed, the veins around his recently transplanted eye bulging. Mei slid to a stop next to him. The continuous rain made the ground slick. Mei stuck her hands out to steady herself, her fingers sunk six inches into mud. It didn’t bother her, mud had been her ally before so she ignored how it seeped into her gloves.

Ao cursed at what he saw beyond their cover, making Mei feel cold. Were they too late? She crept forward only to feel Ao’s hand on her shoulder. She glanced back at him, her Hunter masking making it hard to see him without turning entirely around. Ao shook his head.

Mei shrugged his hand off and crept further forward. Ao cautiously followed. They peaked out through the tall grass, careful to remain hidden.

They were two spirits hiding next to a field full of ghosts. The ground was soaked in rain and blood. Their comrades lay scattered and broken, dead. Several large, unnatural looking trees loomed over the field. They were spindly and leafless, like claws reaching for the clouds. 

“What-” Mei whispered in shock only to stifle her own words. The enemy was also on the field.

There were about nine in all and they were fresh, without a single bloodstain on their green flak jackets; they were simply wet and thus, had just arrived. The Leaf ninja were scattered among the carnage, searching for something.

 _What did this?_ Even as the thought crossed Mei’s mind, one of the enemy shouted to another. Several ran back to the center of the massacre. Mei strained her damaged ears to hear, gaze zeroing in on the first ninja who’d called out. He had knelt near the Yellow Flash’s student. She was dead, Mei observed. Something had punched through the jinchuriki and hollowed out her chest. That wasn’t what drew the relief squad’s attention though. There was another body nearby, a man about the same age as the now lifeless jinchuriki. 

“What are they saying?” Mei finally whispered to Ao in frustration.

“There’s a Leaf ninja over there, the other student of the Yellow Flash,” Ao replied softly. Mei could barely hear him. “He’s alive.”

“Alive?” Mei responded in surprise. “Did _he_ do this?”

Ao had no answer so he became quiet. They continued to watch breathlessly.

Having found the Mist ninja to be dead, the remainder of the Leaf ninja had gathered around their comrade’s bodies. Green chakra lit up a small area in the center but it was not enough for the Mist ninja to see what was happening.

There was movement and then a sudden scream. Mei and Ao minutely flinched at the sound. It pierced the quiet air like the call of a dying animal. The Leaf ninja appeared to recoil from the green light even as it went out, widening the already loose circle around the survivor. They stepped back farther when the screams formed into words that even Mei could hear.

“Who did this?! Who took down the enemy?!” There were no responses to the survivor’s demands. “What killed the enemy?! Who-” Then the medic’s hands were green again and the voice fell silent.

“So it wasn’t him?” Mei asked rhetorically. Her eyebrows furrowed in thought.

“Either that or he’s gone mad,” Ao remarked with a grim shrug. “Leaf ninja never could handle themselves in a crisis. He probably killed them all in a mad rage and blocked his memory of it.”

“Hatake killed them all by himself?” Mei asked skeptically, finally remembering the name of the Yellow Flash’s only living student. “The bingo book says he’s good, but not _that_ good.” Mei looked out on the corpses of her fellow Mist ANBU. Some of them she’d fought with personally. The Hero of the Sharingan, as he was called, was skilled and maybe could have taken on several of them, but all of them at once? It wasn’t possible. 

Mei and Ao watched in silence as the Leaf ninja collected their wounded and dead comrades. Mei began to creep forward again but Ao, once again, stopped her.

Mei glared back at him. “We should at least try to get the body,” Mei protested. “The Three Tails-”

“The Three Tails will have already departed the host,” Ao advised. “And you know we don’t have the strength to bring it to heel now.”

Mei tightened her hands into fists and then released them. She turned away, knowing what Ao was going to say before he said it.

“We need to act now. We’ve waited long enough,” Ao urged. His voice belied the expressionless white mask he wore. 

“I’m not ready,” Mei confided.

“None of us ever are,” Ao replied. “You’re the best chance the Mist has. The jonin will follow you and we can force the Feudal Lord’s hand.” They’d had this discussion before, he’d said these words before. He never understood why she hesitated when she could strike.

Mei took a breath and began moving back into the forest, away from the carnage. She could send a detail to retrieve their dead once the Leaf ninja were gone, there was no need to lose more lives. “We’ll have to withdraw from the war, as much as possible,” Mei changed the subject to political matters. Her eyes were hard, set on the task before her. She had always hoped there’d be another way, now she realized there wasn’t. If the Mist was to survive, she would have to drag it out of the bloody swamp it was rotting in with her own two hands. 

Ao walked by her side as they weaved through the trees. “That won’t be a popular opinion.” He did not disagree with her however.

Mei elaborated, “we put everything we had into this plan and that was only to take the Leaf out. It won’t be long before the other villages sense our weakness and strike.”

“So what’s the plan?” Ao asked, eyeing the dangerous woman beside him.

“Withdraw our forces but put up a brave front, don’t admit defeat. There have been whispers of peace treaties, despite what the Fourth said. If we can save face, it will protect us while we rebuild.” 

Ao nodded his agreement. “And the coup?”

Mei smiled. She couldn’t remember if they’d ever actually used that word before, although they’d both thought it. Treason was another word they never spoke aloud but often thought of. Mei’s smirk remained as she said, “it isn’t a coup, I’m taking control from no one.” _I’m picking up the pieces. No one can fault me for that._

The Mist kunoichi removed her mask and put it on her hip. She looked up into the crying sky, letting the rain wash her face. The mud dripped off of her fingers and mask, merging with the forest floor. After a moment, she shook her hair out and looked back at Ao. She did not put her mask back on.

“Let’s move.”


	39. Memories Loved and Lost

Kakashi woke slowly, blinking his eyes up at the wooden ceiling. Mei suddenly leaned over him, blocking his view. “Kakashi? Can you hear me?”

Kakashi blinked at her earnest green eyes instead, no less disoriented. He nodded slowly, wondering why he was on the floor and why the Mizukage was addressing him in such an informal manner. “What happened?” The Sixth Hokage asked as he sat up. He glanced around, looks of confusion and suspicion flashing across his face. Before he could ask his next question the Mizukage was answering his first.

“One of those girls got a lucky hit in on you,” Mei replied. “I took care of it. Even Roka helped.” Mei smiled.

“Roka?” Kakashi asked, confused. He gingerly touched his head, feeling the swollen places.

Mei frowned as she caught his look. “What is it? Are you alright?”

“I- um,” the Hokage scratched the back of his head self-consciously. “I’m embarrassed Lady Mizukage. I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

Mei smirked at the title. “There’s no need to be cute.” She walked over to the sink. “I sent the children upstairs to wash up. They’ll be happy to see you awake.”

Kakashi’s thoughts of a battle flew out of his head. “Children?”

Mei paused in her work. She was cleaning up a bowl of dough on the floor. She’d dropped it in her haste to run outside and help her husband defend their children. Green eyes met black. There was something unfamiliar in the exchange that unsettled the retired Mizukage. Mei set the bowl down. She spoke slowly. “Kakashi do you not remember the fight at all?” She stepped forward to check his wound and Kakashi recoiled. She stopped, stung by the reaction but only for a moment. Then her eyes narrowed. “You don’t remember the fight at all?” It was less of a question this time and more of an accusation.

Kakashi frowned. He was having trouble recalling what he’d previously been doing. He had no memory of a battle either. “No,” Kakashi replied. “I can’t seem to recall how I got here either. Is there a summit?” In his head he added, _why are there children at a kage summit?_

Mei’s eyes grew wide. A hand went to her mouth but only for a moment. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

Kakashi strained his mind, his eyes squinting. His head ached but he still pushed himself to his feet. “Signing reports, I suppose. Although,” he chuckled, “don’t ask me what day it was.” His smile died upon seeing Mei’s expression. “What?” He asked innocently.

There was a thunder of feet above them that broke Mei out of her trance. They continued down the stairs, growing progressively louder. Her eyes flashed to the kitchen door. “Don’t come in here,” Mei ordered, a little more sharply than she’d intended.

The footfalls slowed to a stop. There was a nervous silence. “Mom? Are you okay?”

“Yes Roka I’m fine,” Mei replied, although her eyes were still locked with Kakashi’s.

Kakashi wondered when the Mizukage had had a child. It seemed to him like just the other day, she’d been complaining about being single. Was that just the other day? Kakashi wasn’t sure anymore. The lines under the Mizukage’s eyes were a little more pronounced than the last time he’d seen her. Maybe she hadn’t been sleeping well? A sense of unease stole through Kakashi like a winter wind. The Sixth Hokage opened his mouth to ask another question when the young voice on the other side of the door called, “is Dad okay?”

Kakashi stared at the Mizukage harder than ever, she looked back. A movement caught Kakashi’s eye and he looked toward the entrance of the kitchen. He tracked the slow opening of the door, it’s movement like the dawn of realization in his brain. A silver haired boy stuck his head into the room. Black eyes met matching black and the boy grinned. “Dad! You’re okay!”

Kakashi fainted.

000000

Mei had to rush forward to catch Kakashi before the fall could make his head injury worse. She lowered his senseless body to the floor, her mind racing. _He doesn’t know us, how can he not know us?! No. He doesn’t know Roka but he kept calling me…_ Mei gasped in realization. Before she could come to terms with her conclusions, Roka was beside her, practically yelling in her ear.

“Is Dad okay?!” His little face was stricken. 

Mei let go of Kakashi to pull her eldest son close in a hug. “He’s hurt his head darling, sometimes that means you have dizzy spells. I’ll send for Aunt Sakura, he’ll be okay.” Her voice was soothing but Mei’s heart was hammering inside of her chest. _Does he have amnesia? Is it permanent?_ “Why don’t you go see how your siblings are doing?” Mei side-glanced at Kakashi, who was stirring.

Roka frowned, the action pinched his entire face, but he nodded and left the kitchen after one last backward glance.

Mei turned back to her husband. His eyes were open and watching her.

“Do you feel dizzy or nauseous?” Mei asked, business-like. Kakashi wasn’t having any of that.

“That’s our son?” Kakashi asked, aghast. “I have a son, with you?”

“You seem to have forgotten a few things,” Mei commented lightly. “And you could lower your voice.” She quickly threw on a mask to talk to this stranger. _If the last thing Kakashi remembers was back when he was still Hokage…we weren’t even dating then! We hardly knew each other._

“A few,” Kakashi agreed sarcastically, although he dialed his voice back to a whisper. His panic made his tone harsh. “Roughly seven years is quite a few things.”

Mei looked at her husband sharply. He seemed to be puzzled by his own words himself. “Seven years? What made you pick that?”

Kakashi almost said it was a guess, but something inside told him it wasn’t. Roka may have looked around the age of seven but Kakashi _knew_ the boy was seven. It wasn’t a question of luck or observation. He knew the boy’s age like he knew his own name. “I don’t know, I just knew he was seven.”

Mei glanced at the door and then back at her husband. “You remembered.” A glimmer of hope in her heart shone through her eyes.

Kakashi shook his head stubbornly and then wished he hadn’t. His head still ached. He tried to subtly disrupt his chakra but Mei noticed immediately.

“This isn’t a genjutsu Kakashi, just please, try to act normally until Sakura gets here to sort you out. You’re scaring your children!” There was no recognition, no love in his eyes when he looked at her. It hollowed Mei out, feasting on her insides. _You’re scaring me._

Pushing aside the fact that he didn’t know what kind of “normal” was expected of him, Kakashi worried that this whole thing was some sort of plot for the Mist to secure a marriage between the Leaf and Mist. He was a little disappointed that he hadn’t thought of it himself.

The Hokage could see it now. The Mist created this elaborate scheme where he is led to believe that he and Mei are already married. Then when he believes it, announce to the world that they’re together. He couldn't back out at that point. It would be too embarrassing to the Leaf that someone got the better of their Hokage. His counter plotting didn’t get much further than that, otherwise he may have realized how ridiculous it all sounded. Instead, his mind was hung up on something else the Mizukage had said. “Child _ren_? As in multiple?” _The children she mentioned earlier are all…ours?_

Mei grasped at straws. “How many do you think we have?” Her face brightened, hoping he’d remember this too.

“I thought it was just the one a moment ago,” Kakashi replied, playing along. He scratched his head and winced a bit.

Mei’s eyes relaxed. She was disappointed but wasn’t going to give up hope. Meanwhile, “let me see that.” She reached for his head again.

Again, Kakashi recoiled, eyes wide. “Please don’t get that close to me.”

Mei’s hope was replaced by frustration. “Well we’ve already had children, I think it’s a little late to worry about proximity.”

Kakashi blushed despite himself, looking anywhere but at the Mizukage. _Did we really…? No. This is just an illusion. It may be someone trying to…what?_ He felt a great fear within himself, something he didn’t recall ever feeling before. It was like when he worried about his teammates but it was more, so much more. He had a fear of something being taken away.

Kakashi mentally pushed those thoughts aside. _This isn’t real. But, do I want it to be? Just a little? This house is so cozy and yet so spartan and new._ Everything was wood and cobbled together in such a way that it made Kakashi think of Tenzo. Recipes on scratch pieces of paper were tacked to the cabinets. There was a bit of flour spilled on the floor. The table was set for six and he felt lightheaded again. _We have four children? The Mizukage and I have- No. It’s a trick._

“You still think I’m trying to fool you,” Mei said flatly. It was not a question.

“I think I need some sort of proof,” Kakashi replied. He felt like the Mizukage and himself were having this discussion at a round summit table.

“Sakura will be here in a little while,” Mei replied. “Hopefully she’ll be able to help us.”

“I’d be a little less suspicious of your Sakura look-alike if you hadn’t been the one to suggest that she come.” 

“She’s going to punch you if you call her a look-alike to her face,” Mei replied.

The Hokage could not disagree with this. “So,” Kakashi asked casually. “How long will it take for her to arrive?”

Mei rolled her eyes. “If you want to know where we are you could just ask. You don’t have to work it out based on our distance from the Leaf.”

Kakashi looked at her expectantly.

Mei sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “We’re on the neutral land between Fire and the ocean closest to the Land of Water. If she drops everything she could be here in a few hours.”

“If it’s actually her,” Kakashi added.

Mei threw down her hands. “Well why don’t you come up with your own idea about how to check to see if I’m lying?”

Kakashi thought about it. He was certain he wasn’t in a genjutsu. This place smelled too real, smelled too much like home. He practically growled at himself and quickly moved on. Then an idea occurred to him. Not wanting to give the Mizukage a chance to change his mind, his hands flashed through familiar signs. Much to his surprise, Mei didn’t seem the least bit concerned that he was performing a jutsu with no warning.

Placing his hand on the floorboards, Kakashi summoned Pakkun.

Mei couldn’t hide the delight on her face at seeing the pug. 

“What’s up boss?” Pakkun asked, glancing around the room. Seeing both kage standing still, he assumed there was no immediate danger and sat down. Before Kakashi could say anything, Pakkun turned to Mei to include her, “how are the pups?”

Kakashi blanched. Mei tried not to look smug. “The pups?” Kakashi asked breathlessly.

Pakkun frowned. “I’ve called them that before. You aren’t getting annoyed with the nickname now, are you?”

“Called who that before?” Kakashi intoned carefully.

“Your children.” Pakkun replied matter-of-factly. “So what was it you called me for? I was going to take a bath later.” Pakkun scratched his ear idly until he saw the look on Kakashi’s face. “What?”

“Pakkun, he um,” Mei began but Kakashi cut her off.

“Pakkun not you too,” he washed his face with his hands.

Pakkun turned to Mei. “What’s with him?”

Mei’s face got sad, as if saying it aloud made it real. “Pakkun, Kakashi was injured in a fight. He doesn’t remember the last nine years or so.”

“Nine?” Kakashi whirled to look at her. “You said it was seven before.”

“ _You_ said it was seven,” Mei replied. “And you guessed that because you knew Roka’s age. How do you explain that?!”

“I don’t know, but this can’t be real. I don’t know how to raise children!”

Mei crossed her arms. “You most certainly do. Don’t make me leave you alone in the house with them to prove it.”

Kakashi seemed to shrink.

Pakkun was growing uncomfortable with the tension in the room. “Um, Mei? Why don’t you let Kakashi and me take a walk together? You can talk it through with the kids.”

“And tell them what?” Mei hissed. “That their own father doesn’t remember them?”

Something in Kakashi winced, making him shudder on the outside. Mei would have been happy with this progress if her husband hadn’t said, “a walk would be good.”

Mei scowled at them both. “Be careful with him Pakkun; he’s already fainted once.”

Pakkun nodded and the pair left through the back door.

They were silent for several moments as they traversed the lawn. At first, Pakkun thought Kakashi was just waiting until they were farther away from the house to speak but the Hatake remained silent. When they reached a nondescript part of the lawn, Kakashi stopped, confused when his hands ran through three signs out of reflex. He froze, staring down at them in surprise.

“What did you remember?” Pakkun asked. He was surprisingly gentle in asking the question.

“There’s a barrier here, around the yard.” Kakashi answered softly. After a moment he continued, “I put it up.” He looked pleadingly down at his summons. “But I couldn’t have. This can’t be real.”

Pakkun sat down. “Why not?”

Kakashi lost his composure. “I married the Mizukage?!” He waved at the house in a way that was reminiscent of an over-excited Naruto. “We had children?! How did I even- How did that even happen?”

“It’s actually kind of a funny story. You see, at Naruto’s coronation, Mei’s entourage thought you’d tried to assault her.”

“What?!”

Pakkun took a step back. “Sorry, sorry, take a deep breath.” Kakashi had gone pale.

Kakashi sat down on the ground, paying no mind to the dirt and leaf litter.

“Anyway,” Pakkun hurried along with the story, “you were trying to ask her on a date and it was just a big misunderstanding.”

“ _I_ initiated the relationship?” Kakashi breathed. “What would have possessed me to do that?”

“You liked her,” Pakkun said simply. “I know this is hard for you to believe-”

“Not hard, impossible.”

Pakkun shook himself. “Alright listen here Kakashi, this is real. A lot of time has passed and a lot of things have happened. Seven years before you enrolled your team in the chunin exams, what were you doing?” Kakashi remained silent. “The point is, things changed. You changed, for the better I think.”

Kakashi side-glanced at his hound. “Traitor.”

Pakkun wagged his tail. “Mei is pretty great and so are your pups.”

“I just, I can’t believe this,” Kakashi insisted. He ran his hand through his hair for what felt like the thousandth time.

“Why?” Pakkun asked. “Because it’s what you’ve always wanted?”

Kakashi looked sharply at the pug. “ _I_ want a family?”

“Always have,” Pakkun insisted. “And they’re reaching out for you.” The pug stood, “let’s go back to the house.”

Kakashi gazed at the house in the distance. Taking the sight of the structure in from a distance, it was no doubt Tenzo’s work. Kakashi shook his head. “I need- I’m going to need some time.”

Pakkun sat. “Take as much time as you need.” After a moment he added, “but, you know, not too much time. Mei is going to make dinner at some point.”

Kakashi side-glanced at the pug. “Why? Does she always make dinner?”

“No, she had just already started, that’s how I knew.”

Kakashi put his hands over his eyes, resting his elbows on his knees. “Nine years, how did I forget nine years?”

“It sounds like you didn’t forget everything,” Pakkun encouraged. “And Sakura should be able to fix it.”

000000

“I can’t fix it,” Sakura announced. She pulled her hands away from Kakashi’s head, where she’d been running an examination with her chakra.

“What do you mean?” Mei and Pakkun demanded. The children were asleep and upstairs. Sakura had gotten there in record time since she was already nearby due to a mission.

“The brain is very delicate,” Sakura reminded them. “It would be best if I let the swelling go down on its own. He should get most of his memories back when the pressure is relieved. After that, I’ll look at him again.”

“What do you mean ‘most’?!” Kakashi and Mei demanded at the same time. Kakashi sent an accusing glare at the woman claiming to be his wife. She didn’t even spare him a glance, her gaze fixed on the medic.

“All, I meant all,” Sakura amended quickly. For once she was the one who was frightened. A panicked Hokage and angry Mizukage were both shouting at her. “There’s a chance he’ll lose some memories permanently but I can check for damage once the swelling goes down.”

“Then why don’t you just decrease the swelling now?” Pakkun asked. He was scratching his ear again. They had been bothering him more and more as he aged.

“I could, but I’d more than likely damage his brain by decreasing the pressure too quickly,” Sakura explained. “The body does what it does on purpose to try to heal itself.” She tucked a stray bit of pink hair behind an ear. “I’ll stay on for a few days to monitor sensei’s condition.”

Without a word, Kakashi stood up and left the room. Sakura looked at Mei helplessly. The Mizukage washed her face with her hands.

Kakashi was tired and just wanted to rest. He glanced back at the kitchen, where he could hear the Mizukage and his student talking. Who could he trust here? What was going on? With slouched shoulders, he absentmindedly mounted the stairs. Once on the second floor, he came to a door and stopped dead. His hand was outstretched toward the doorknob. He stared at his hand as if it didn’t belong to him. What had he been about to do? He blinked, confused.

He didn’t know anything about this house, not that he could remember anyway. He had no idea what was behind that door and yet he was reaching for it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. As if he’d done it a thousand times. Without thinking too much about it, Kakashi turned his head and looked to the end of the passage. At this point he wasn’t even surprised. There was a second door down the hall to his left. He would normally go there next. _And do what?_

Kakashi hesitantly stretched out his senses. There they were, four signs of life. Two behind the door in front of him, two more down the hall behind the other door. Kakashi’s eyes widened with realization. _I was going to check on the children,_ his brain supplied.

Kakashi turned away from the door in a rush, struggling to breathe. With slumped shoulders, he leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor onto his rump. He put his face in his hands. _This can’t be real._

He stayed there for a few minutes, struggling with what habit had revealed. Sakura, Pakkun, they both backed the Mizukage’s story. Kakashi shook his head in wonder. The Mizukage. _How could I be married to the Mizukage? She’s beautiful but how- when-?_ He couldn’t process it.

He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. The Hokage desperately wanted to sleep. The prospect was made less appealing since Sakura would just wake him every hour to make sure he hadn’t slipped into a coma.

There was a creak on the stairs and Kakashi looked up. Mei hadn’t even tried to hide her footsteps while at the bottom of the stairs. She didn’t want to spook him as she came up.

_If all this is true,_ Kakashi thought, _what must I be putting her through right now?_

In a moment Mei had crested the stairs and joined her husband in the hall. She looked at him with sad, emerald eyes for a moment. “May I sit with you?”

“Yes,” Kakashi replied simply.

Mei slid down the wall next to him, careful to keep her distance. “I’m sorry, I know this must be hard for you.”

“I- I don’t know what to think,” Kakashi replied honestly. “Time has clearly passed. I’m trying to remember it’s just,” he let out a tortured laugh, “it’s all just a blur of paperwork.”

“I can relate,” Mei muttered. “Even when Chojuro took over there were still thousands of things to look over and sign.” The thought made Mei curious. “Do you remember Naruto’s coronation?”

Kakashi squinted at the wall across from them as if viewing something in the distance. “I think so?” After a moment he nodded, “yes, I remember it. I told him he’d be my successor for years but I do remember it actually taking place.”

“And what happened after?” Mei dared to hope.

Kakashi’s face grew blank and Mei knew what his answer would be before he spoke. “No,” he said calmly.

They sat in companionable silence for a time. Kakashi didn’t seem to be overly uncomfortable so Mei counted that as progress. That was until her husband’s head began to dip toward his chin. “Kakashi,” Mei said. His head jerked up in alarm. He looked at her with wide, uncomprehending eyes. There was little recognition there, no feeling of all they’d been through together, just the respect he’d shown her back when they both ruled their villages. Mei’s heart clenched but she kept her voice steady, “Sakura said that you have to stay awake.”

Kakashi nodded in understanding even as his eyes drooped. They did not betray him again however. He kept awake as if standing guard, alert but sedentary.

“Maybe we should go for a walk?” Mei suggested.

Kakashi quickly shook his head. “I’d rather not.”

Mei was not hurt by the rejection. She could tell by his tone that it wasn’t meant to offend. What did pain her was how well she knew this man, how intimately she knew his every mannerism, and yet he couldn’t even remember her as anything other than a colleague. If they had to start over, Mei wasn’t sure what would happen. Would he leave her? Every insecurity rose to life like a flood within her. _He would. I knew he would. After all we’ve- No._ Mei cut herself off. She pushed the flood back and locked it away. _There’s no time for that now. The children still need me, they need both of us. I will buckle down and do whatever it takes to hold this family together._

Despite Mei’s self-assurances, questions still crept into her mind. Would she be left to raise her children alone in the Mist? Kaori would help her, Mei had no doubt but, she glanced at her husband, it wouldn’t be the same.

“Maybe it would help,” Kakashi began slowly. Mei listened to every word. “If you told me a little bit about,” he hesitated to speak the last word but there was nothing else for it but to say it, “us.”

Mei was surprised but tried not to show it. If Kakashi was coming to terms with their life together being a possibility, then maybe they had a chance. “Let me know if I mention anything familiar. I can expand on that and maybe we can stir something up.”

Kakashi nodded in agreement, although the movement seemed to pain him.

Mei frowned. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Kakashi could barely hear his wife through the roaring in his ears. Splinters of pain laced through his brain like a lightning bolt splits the sky. He felt more than heard Mei move and in a moment, Sakura was there with her hands at his temples. When the pain had abated enough for Kakashi to open his eyes, he saw Sakura biting her lip.

She shook her head. “There’s nothing else we can do, you have to rest. The lack of sleep is doing more harm than good.” She looked at the clock and noted the time. “I’ll be waking you up at intervals and asking you some questions, checking your pupils, that sort of thing, alright?”

Kakashi nodded dumbly. His eyes were heavy with fatigue and he couldn’t bring himself to move his jaw to answer her.

Together, Mei and Sakura helped him up. Mei hesitated for a moment, looking down the hall at the only open door. Sakura did not, guiding Kakashi straight into his and Mei’s room. Kakashi didn’t comment on what room they were in, he didn’t really seem to care. He was boneless as they laid him down and asleep before Sakura had tucked him in.

“Is this normal?” Mei asked, indicating her husband’s fatigue.

“Nothing is particularly normal when it comes to a head injury,” Sakura said. “And stamina has always been sensei’s weakness in battle. The emotional backlash combined with his injury is sapping his strength. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.” She stood to go but then looked back. Mei hadn’t moved from her place beside the bed.

Finally Mei spoke. “He was asking me to tell him about our past.”

Sakura smiled. “Then do that, talk to him. Your voice may bring about the connections he needs to see the whole picture.” Sakura checked the clock again. “I’ll be back in about an hour.”

Mei nodded in understanding without looking at the kunoichi. She sat down next to the bed. “How to start,” she whispered into the silent room.

Sakura shut the door quietly behind her.

000000

Mei was up the entire night. Sakura took quick naps here and there but she was always punctual when she came to rouse her sensei. Nine times she returned to that room to find Mei telling her sleeping husband about the births of their children, their dating disasters, or some nonsense that they’d laughed about for too long. She immediately stopped her storytelling when Kakashi awoke and would not resume until he was asleep again. 

Sakura asked Kakashi the standard questions, his name, his age, and where the Leaf was located. The age question he got correct every time along with the Leaf questions, so Sakura would move on to things more recent and personal. The answers involving his family did not always come as quickly or smoothly. However, the last three times he woke up, Kakashi gave Mei an intense look. It was as if he was seeing a pretty girl and wondering why he hadn’t noticed her before. It had the Mizukage grinning but Sakura wasn’t entirely sure why.

When Sakura stepped out, Mei whispered, “that was the look you gave me when you asked me out for the first time.”

Kakashi hummed sleepily in response. “Was perfectly calm that time, I don’t know what you mean.”

Mei smiled but let him sleep. She wasn’t going to wake him up just to call him on his lie. 

000000

Mei was asleep when Kakashi woke up on his own. He stretched luxuriously and squinted at the window, wondering what time it was. He turned to see Mei’s side of the bed empty. He frowned at this until he felt someone stir in the room. He quickly turned to the side to see Mei blinking at him.

It came back to him like a bad dream. However, instead of fading away as he became more awake, this nightmare grew stronger, sharper. He remembered more the longer he thought about it. “Mei,” Kakashi croaked out. He swallowed a few times to moisten his vocal chords.

Mei’s eyes grew wide and then they were wet with unshed tears.

Kakashi was in her arms before she’d had a chance to move. He’d nearly twisted an ankle stumbling out of the bed to get to her. He didn’t care.

“I’m so sorry,” Kakashi whispered in his wife’s ear. He kissed the scars and nuzzled her hair.

Mei felt as if she could breathe again. She clung to Kakashi, her husband, as if he were slipping away from her. Nothing could be further from the truth. She’d do well to remember that. “Sorry for what?” Mei laughed around her tight throat. “Getting hit mid battle or for denying your children?” 

“All of it and more,” Kakashi replied, eyes closed. “Are the children alright?”

For a moment Mei was terrified he was still missing some memories. The ice had yet to settle in her veins before she realized that Kakashi hadn’t actually seen any of their children besides Roka. He hadn’t asked about them after the battle for obvious reasons and it hadn’t come up again. Mei nodded. “They’re fine.”

Despite this affirmation, Kakashi was standing. “I want to see them. They must have been scared.” He turned suddenly and kissed his wife, who had just been standing up. Mei was dazed by the fierceness of his embrace. His eyes held her captivated. “I love you.” 

Mei took a shuddering breath, overwhelmed by her joy. Despite the haziness at the edge of her vision, she couldn’t look away from her husband’s bright black eyes. “I love you too.”

Kakashi took her hand firmly and marched out the door and down the stairs toward the high-pitched laughter in the kitchen.

“Daddy!” Kasumi cried and thudded over to his parents with tiny steps. Roka, Fujita, and Hisano were not far behind.

Kakashi nearly cried at the sight of his children. He immediately attempted to scoop them up all at once, holding everyone while hoisting them into the air. Roka would have normally complained that he was too old for such antics but this time he only smiled.

As Kakashi held his children close, Sakura was once again struck by how entirely different her sensei was around his family. It was as if there was an entirely new personality within Kakashi that Mei had unlocked.

In retrospect, Sakura realized that she _had_ seen this side of her sensei before. She’d seen it when he’d carried Naruto back to the village after his triumph over Pain. Then there was the relief he’d shown when Sasuke was able to finish his preliminary match after the Forest of Death. For Sakura personally, it was the way he’d tried to cheer her up despite the turmoil they all felt after Naruto and Sasuke’s hospital rooftop battle. However, the warmth that Kakashi had shared with his team before had only been slivers of sunshine through clouds compared to the blazing affection he displayed now. It wasn’t that he hadn’t cared as much before. The difference was that now the emotion wasn’t so completely overshadowed with sadness.

The sight of it made Sakura’s heart expand in her chest. Afraid that she would cry, she stepped out of the room. She had a report to start.

000000

Sakura stayed for a few extra days just to be sure that the swelling had gone down and that there was no lasting damage. She was happy to report that there appeared to be no permanent memory loss.

The children saw her visit as a sort of holiday and proceeded to make it as festive as possible. Parades down imaginary streets marked by twigs in the grass went on for nearly an entire day. Leaves, that replaced confetti and streamers, were strewn about in a most enthusiastic way until Fujita attempted to take the parade inside. Mei put her foot down at this, citing something about bad Leaf Village habits. Kakashi scratched the back of his head nervously even though his wife wasn’t looking at him.

The first night after it all ended was the worst, in Kakashi’s opinion. He went upstairs only to find Mei stretched out on the bed, still fully clothed, deeply asleep. She had stayed up all night, worrying over her husband, their future, everything. Kakashi frowned, unhappy that he’d been the source of that worry.

He sat on the edge of the bed and began running the backs of his knuckles along Mei’s shin the way she liked. She hummed in her sleep but did not wake up. Kakashi smiled behind his mask. “My beautiful wife, how could I have possibly forgotten you?” Guilt threatened to overtake him but he pushed it back, staring at Mei’s face and memorizing every curve.

Kakashi glanced back at the door. His cute little student would put the children to bed, right? He smiled mischievously and climbed into bed next to his wife. He pulled her close and drifted off to sleep, savoring each memory as it floated through his mind’s eye.


	40. Hatake Hair

Kakashi sat in his study thumbing through a sheaf of papers. It was an unfinished manuscript of Jiraiya’s that Naruto had dug up for him. Although it had the same light humor and clever dialog as the other books the sannin had written, it always felt unpolished to Kakashi, not to mention unfinished. The plot and subplots of the story were never written to their fruition, simply stopping at the end of a setup chapter in the middle of the story.

Kakashi contemplated this, how the book was much like the lives of those who’d died too young, much like Jiraiya himself, when he heard the front door open and close. He pulled himself from his musings and was happy to feel Fujita’s presence in the front room. She’d been over at a friend’s house all night. Even though his daughters were in their teens and fully capable of taking care of themselves, it still tugged at his mind whenever one of them was away, either on a mission or for other reasons.

The retired Hokage was about to return to the manuscript when he heard Mei’s voice, speaking louder than was normal in the house. He blinked and looked up, surprised, when Fujita’s voice rose in answer. Kakashi cocked his head and listened harder to make out the words but the next phrase was louder still and directed at him.

“Kakashi, would you come down here please?” Mei called, her voice sharp and solid, like a stone wedge.

Kakashi frowned. Mei’s voice was stern but that tone didn’t seem to be directed at him. He set down the bound pages. He considered teleporting downstairs but thought better of it. It may be better for everyone if he gave Mei time to cool her head. Opening the door, Kakashi took the stairs down at a brisk pace. He was almost to the landing when he caught sight of Mei and their daughter. The latter made him pause and stare.

Fujita’s long, auburn hair that was almost a mirror image of her mother’s was no longer a rich chestnut, but a shining silver. It was, in fact, a silver so like his own that Kakashi was baffled by the sight of it. She had even dyed her eyebrows to match. His steps slowed on the stairs as he absorbed this new information. Two pairs of green eyes stared at him as he descended. One was pleading and stubborn, the other set was impatient and angry.

Kakashi repressed a sigh and walked up to the pair. Mei spoke first.

“Look what she’s done to her beautiful hair! Just look at it!” Mei was beside herself with fury. She turned back to Fujita. “What possessed you to dye your hair?!”

Fujita’s green eyes flashed. “Maybe I just wanted to try something different Mom,” Fujita barked. “It’s not like it’s a big deal.”

“Of course dying your hair isn’t a big deal,” Mei agreed angrily, “if it’s for a mission! You want to use this for fashion? You’ll be a laughing-stock!”

Kakashi held up his hands, attempting to calm the fiery pair. “Now Mei, let’s just calm down.” He turned to give his wife his full attention. “It doesn’t look that bad now does it?” He raised an eyebrow at her, daring her to say that his hair was not an attractive shade.

Mei opened her mouth and then closed it again. “Well no,” she looked back at Fujita. Seeing the hair renewed her fuel for the fight. “But people are going to talk.”

“Come on Mom,” Fujita teased. “Didn’t you ever wonder what your hair would look like if it were a different color?”

Mei frowned. “I didn’t have to wonder. Different missions required me to dye my hair to blend in. But something like this,” Mei gestured at the long, silver locks, “is a waste of time and energy. Time you could have spent-”

Fujita grimaced, knowing what her mother was going to say. Her parents were always going on and on about how they needed to train hard to protect themselves, protect their comrades, protect their village, blah blah blah. _The world is at peace now_ , Fujita thought. _Why could they never grasp that? Things are different now. They’re always living in the past._

When they were growing up, Fujita and Hisano had both been taught that ninja training was taking their own safety into their hands, their own lives. If they trained hard, they were more likely to survive. It was good in theory, but the days of running from enemy ninja bent on kidnapping them had long ago faded from memory. To the girls, such warnings had become the things of fairy tales and story times. It was a long time ago and didn’t matter anymore. No one was out to get them, no boogie-man was coming in the night to spirit them away.

And yet, Fujita grew angry just thinking about it, their parents continued to act as if training hard was a life or death choice. To choose fun over training was to die. _What a load of bull. Probably just something they made up to keep us in check._ Fujita frowned as she considered this. The more she thought, the more her boiling anger slowed down to a simmer. She could think her parents were overreacting all she wanted, but every time she expressed frustration about this topic, Roka’s look of horror stopped her cold.

Fujita sighed. She wasn’t anything like Roka, or even Hisano. Hisano was quiet but driven, driven to be better, most times even better than her twin. Fujita never hated her for it, she even appreciated it. Hisano was her best friend, always. Hisano’s drive gave her sister something to strive for. Fujita was always in trouble for acting without thinking but Hisano’s good behavior stemmed from self-improvement, and not to put her twin behind her. It was a curious balance they struck.

“Mei,” Kakashi cut into his daughter’s thoughts and his wife’s lecture. “Is it really a problem that Fujita dyed her hair? Really.”

Fujita glanced at her father, not believing that her father was sticking up for her. She briefly wondered if he would have had the same reaction if she’d chosen green as a hair color. Shaking the idle thought away, she glanced at her mother.

Mei frowned at Kakashi’s chest, not really seeing him. Then she looked up and met her daughter’s eye. “No, it’s not. But if people make fun of you, don’t come crying to me.”

Fujita rolled her eyes when Mei turned around. Kakashi, however, caught the movement and gave his daughter a stern look. Fujita wilted a bit under that gaze. She reached a hand up and idly touched her silver locks. They swung freely from her high pony-tail.

Fujita whispered in an undertone. “Do you really think people will make fun of me Dad?”

The words were only meant for him but Kakashi saw, out of the corner of his eye, that Mei froze mid-step. Kakashi smiled down at his eldest daughter, “I think you look beautiful either way.” He kissed her forehead lightly.

When the twins had been younger, Kakashi used to affectionately ruffle their hair. However, the older they got, the more often he was informed that, “they’d spent hours working on that Daddy, please don’t mess it up.” It had been the tears that made him stop. Watching as they ran crying to Mei that their hair needed to be redone was a little more than his tender heart could handle. Thus, he’d resorted to kissing their heads instead, gently of course, to avoid disturbing the latest fad. He was spoiling them of course, but Kakashi couldn’t bring himself to care.

“And,” Kakashi continued, with an eye-smile, “I know that anyone who’s foolish enough to make fun of you will live to regret it.”

Mei smirked but wiped the expression away before turning around. “So, who helped you-” The question was interrupted by the front door opening.

Hisano stepped inside, slipped her shoes off, and began removing her training armor.

“And where have you been?” Kakashi asked, doing his best to mimic his wife.

Mei’s raised eyebrow showed him that she was not amused. Kakashi only smiled at her in response.

Hisano looked between her parents with curious eyes. Her auburn hair was wrapped into a bun but the shorter, loose strands that framed her face were messy and stuck to her temples with sweat. “What’s going on?” She asked. Then she caught sight of Fujita and her eyebrows rose. “You did it!” She stepped away from the door, armor half off, and grasped her sister’s hands. The pair grinned at each other, practically doing a dance. “It looks great! Did it take long?”

“You knew about this?” Mei asked sharply.

Hisano recoiled from her mother’s tone but did not let go of Fujita’s hands. Sword still strapped to her back, Hisano squared her posture and looked her mother dead in the face. “I did,” she confirmed. 

“And you thought it was a good idea?” Kakashi asked. His tone was much softer than his spouse’s.

“I mean, it’s _an_ idea,” Hisano said, noncommittally. “It’s not _my_ hair.” 

“Hisano,” Fujita cried, looking betrayed.

Hisano raised her hands in defense, a smile on her face. “You were set on doing it. Nothing I said would have changed your mind either way. I do think it looks beautiful though.”

Kakashi raised his eyebrows at Mei. The retired Mizukage understood him, Hisano was correct. Fujita was always getting ideas and she went through with them despite all advice. It was a habit, Kakashi feared, that she’d picked up from Naruto.

Hisano looked around the group. “Why, is something the matter?”

“I just,” Mei stopped herself and then started again. “I would have liked a little warning.”

Fujita and Hisano blinked in synchrony at their mother. It was so similar to something they used to do as infants that Kakashi wished he had a camera. Then, together, they both asked, “why?”

Mei waved her hands, exasperated. She looked at her husband, her eyes pleading. Kakashi loosened his shoulders a bit and then spoke. “I think what your mother means is that we would have liked to give some input before you made such a change. And,” Kakashi continued, “it concerns us that you didn’t feel that you could share this with us.” 

“It’s the latest fashion in Stone to dye your hair,” Fujita argued.

This made Kakashi’s shoulders slump. “If you start wearing red all the time, I’ll disown you.”

Fujita snorted and then covered her mouth as she laughed. “Oh Dad, no need to be so uptight. The Stones and Leafs are friends now.”

Kakashi resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. The slang his children used baffled him to no end. Sticking to the topic at hand he replied, “well things weren’t always that way.”

Fujita attempted to catch her sister’s eye. They heard things like this so often it had almost ceased to mean anything. And yet, as Fujita observed her twin’s face, she was struck by the curious expression there.

Hisano swallowed and finally worked up the courage to ask. “Why don’t you two ever talk about it?”

Fujita’s eyes swiveled over to her parents to catch their reaction. She wasn’t disappointed. Her father tensed, just the slightest bit, before relaxing into a posture that Fujita had long ago associated with his blank mask. It was what he put on when he didn’t want them to know what he was thinking. She’d even heard their mother chastise him for using it a couple of times, so she knew it wasn’t her imagination.

Her mother clenched her hands slightly and did not relax them as her face settled into a battle-ready expression. However, Fujita could not feel threatened by that posture. She’d observed, but only recently realized, that her mother hid behind anger the same way her father hid behind indifference. Their parents wore layers of masks.

“What do you want to know?” Kakashi asked, surprising them all, most of all Mei.

“Everything,” Hisano replied immediately.

“Everything huh?” Kakashi scratched the back of his neck thoughtfully. “That could take quite a while. There was one time when I was gathering firewood and I saw a tree frog.” Kakashi stopped abruptly. A couple of beats of silence followed. Apparently, that was the entirety of that story. “There was another time-”

“Dad,” Hisano said softly. “Be serious.”

Mei turned to Kakashi and gave him a sad smile. “Well,” Kakashi replied, not returning his wife’s smile, “if you want me to be serious then maybe you should be too.” He stepped deeper into the room and settled onto a couch.

Hisano and Fujita exchanged a look. _Was he serious? Would he answer their questions?_ When their mother joined their father on the couch, the two adolescents hurried into the room. Once they were all seated, Fujita just stared at her father, trying to read his empty face.

Hisano gathered the courage to speak first. “Why do the faces on Hokage Mountain not resemble their subjects?”

Fujita comically balked at the question. “That’s what you want to open with?!” 

Hisano looked at her sister with steady eyes. Then she leaned over and whispered right in her ear, almost too quiet for Fujita to hear. “I suppose you wanted to start with why Dad was once called ‘friend-killer’? Or why Mom’s village was once called ‘The Blood-Mist Village’? Or how they deal with the fact that the Mists and Leafs used to kill each other?”

“Okay, okay,” Fujita recoiled, cutting her sister off. “I get it.” 

“Do you want me to answer?” Kakashi asked. “Or may we go?”

Hisano raised her eyebrows. Fujita shook her head at her.

Looking up at their parents Fujita asked, first their mother, “how did you get to be Mizukage?” After a beat she turned to their father, “how did you get your Sharingan? And then lose it?”

“No tact whatsoever,” Hisano muttered.

Despite the questions, Mei and Kakashi only looked at each other briefly in response. After two heartbeats, Kakashi replied, “surely you could read up on both of those events.” He smiled at them. “In fact, I know you have.”

Fujita shook her head. “We have, but the events are only covered in generalities and-” She didn’t know how to say what she wanted to say next. Luckily, Hisano knew what her sister meant. She continued.

“We don’t want to read about it in a textbook. Those people in those books, they aren’t _you_. I don’t want another fantastical rendition of our family history told by someone else. I want to hear it from you. You were there! I want you, my parents, to tell me what happened to _you_.” After this declaration, Hisano clamped her mouth shut, hoping she hadn’t said the wrong thing. 

Mei pulled in a long breath. She sat back while Kakashi leaned forward, elbows on his knees. He didn’t want his children to know what he’d suffered, what the world had suffered, to get them all to this point. Part of him wanted the events of his and Mei’s lives to melt into the tapestry of history, for their daughter’s generation to see those events as they did the Era of Warring States, that is, fantastic and distant. For the future to be built, the foundation of the past needed to be laid to rest.

However, Kakashi could not allow this either, not with his own blood. Even if he and Mei had raised their children to believe that the world was safe and always had been, the falsehood would show through. Every action he and Mei took against the real threats in their lives, both past and present, would belie the comforting words they offered. The truth would show itself even as he and Mei continued to spin lies. The world was at peace, yes, but individuals would never be at peace. There would always be people grasping for power, seeking an edge against someone else. Someone may decide that that edge would be a nearly extinct Mist bloodline or one of the last Hatakes. Their children were both.

No, their children had to know that the world was dangerous. They had to be taught to watch for such troubles. So now their girls wanted proof. Kakashi supposed he should be happy that they didn’t remember the proof from their own lives the way the boys did. Fujita and Hisano wanted their parents to make that world real in a way their textbooks couldn’t. They wanted their parents to defend the way they’d raised them. And, was it possible, that their girls just wanted to understand? That showed a level a maturity that Kakashi normally would have been proud of, except that now he had to lay bare some of his most painful memories.

Kakashi sighed, turning to look at Mei. “I’ll start,” she offered, without looking at him. Mei sat up once again, meeting her daughter’s eyes in turn. “I became Mizukage because the Mizukage before me was being controlled by Madara. I’ve sure you’ve read about him?”

Fujita and Hisano nodded. “So you fought him?”

“No,” Mei answered. “Not exactly and not then. It isn’t what you think, he got what he wanted and left the village in ruins.” Mei had started off neutral, but anger had colored her tone, anger and a deeply seated pain.

“What did he want?” Hisano asked in a whisper.

Mei turned to Kakashi, apologetically. “Among other things, an Uchiha,” Kakashi replied for his wife. “My teammate, Obito.”

Before Fujita and Hisano could ask anything else, Mei said, “we’re getting ahead of the timeline. Maybe I should have let you start?” She looked at her husband. Kakashi was already looking grim. 

Without preamble, Kakashi spoke quickly, clearly, and to the point, “during my first mission as a jonin, Obito was killed saving me. His entire right side was crushed under a bolder. With the last of his strength, he gifted me his left Sharingan eye. Rin did a field transplant.” Kakashi spoke in a hollow voice that his children had rarely heard before. It was too sad to be considered lifeless, but there was a fragility to it, like their father was going to crumble at any moment. The two girls sat there, watching him in fear. “It was Rin’s idea that everyone get me a gift for my jonin promotion. Obito said he couldn’t decide what to get me. I was so uptight about things weighing me down that he thought anything he came up with would make me angry. We weren’t friendly at that time.”

“Why?” Hisano whispered.

Kakashi smiled. “Because I hated his work ethic and wasn’t shy about saying so. In essence, I was a jerk and a bad teammate.” Mei squeezed her husband’s arm but he was far away. It was Fujita that brought him back.

“Why did Madara want Obito if he was dead?” Fujita had no idea the pain such a question caused.

Flatly, her father replied. “He wasn’t dead.” Silence followed this declaration. Kakashi continued, “the Stone ninja we were fighting collapsed the rest of the cave we were in. We couldn’t move the bolder so Obito told us to run. We should have checked-” Kakashi cut himself off, his face shifting into a mask of blank indifference. Mei finished this leg of the story for her husband.

“Your father killed that Stone ninja but then more appeared, dozens more. Thankfully, Naruto’s father arrived and took the rest of them out.”

“The Fourth Hokage?” Hisano clarified.

Kakashi and Mei both nodded. Kakashi’s nod was absent-minded. His mind was somewhere else. Mei grasped his hand but continued her part. “And so, Zetsu and Madara held Obito captive for months. When the time was right, he had the Mizukage kill himself by giving up his tailed beast to be improperly implanted in Rin.”

Fujita and Hisano glanced at their father. He was silent but his eyes were attentive, he was with them.

“Your father went after them to save his teammate. Rin thought that they were going to use her against the Leaf, and they were, in a way, but not how she imagined. Madara killed her to push Obito over the edge, onto his side.”

“I killed her,” Kakashi corrected.

Mei shook her head. “Madara killed her. Rin was either going to die by your hand or when the beast was released. It was going to happen either way because of what Madara did. Not even Obito blamed you for that. We are not having this discussion again.”

Kakashi became silent, staring at the floor. He suddenly looked older than a man only in his early sixties. 

Hisano glanced at her sister. Fujita met her stare. This was worse than anything they had imagined. The history on the page, it explained what Madara did, what he’d wanted to do to the world. But the indignities and terrors that he inflicted on individuals, on their parents specifically, showed a more acute evil. He was a truly loathsome person. 

“And so,” Mei coughed, bringing them back to the discussion at hand, “your father was shocked to see Obito, alive, at the final battle.”

“Shocked is an understatement,” Kakashi interrupted. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “If Guy hadn’t been there I’m not sure I’d be alive.”

“Why?’ Fujita asked.

“Naruto was with us, but he didn’t understand. Guy had seen how I was after Obito and Rin’s deaths. He was able to bring me back. Guy and Naruto encouraged me. I would have fallen apart if they hadn’t-” Kakashi cut himself off this time.

The man didn’t look weak to his daughters, quite the contrary. Their father had always been quiet but affectionate, stern but loving. Seeing his head bowed by the weight of their inquiries, and the fact that he was dragging his buried history out of himself to share with them, made him appear stronger than ever. Their father was human and had been through more than the history books chose to admit. After all, who wanted to linger on the painful history leading up to the war when Naruto, Team Seven, and all of the Allied Forces had so victoriously won?

Kakashi cleared his throat. “As far as how I lost the eye, Madara took it. Considering he thought Obito _belonged_ to him,” there was disgust in his voice at the words, “I suppose he thought he was just taking it back.” 

Hisano was afraid to ask but she couldn’t stop herself. “He took it?”

“Plucked it right out of my head,” Kakashi replied mirthlessly. His daughters both shuddered and he softened his tone. “I was too weak to defend myself. Luckily Sakura was there to-” Kakashi stopped. His daughters were becoming greener by the minute so he hastily ended with, “to stop the bleeding.”

“That must have been horrible,” Fujita exclaimed.

Kakashi shrugged, wanting to change the subject. “Like I said, Sakura was there to help. As you know, Naruto made me a new eye shortly after.”

“So how did you-” Hisano began.

“I think,” Mei cut her daughter off, “that that’s enough for today. Three questions seems to be my limit, wouldn’t you say Kakashi?”

He silently nodded in response.

“But Mom,” Fujita whined. “You hardly talked at all.”

“But I did answer your question,” Mei pointed out. She smiled down at Kakashi. “Just because I don’t ramble on like Leaf ninja are prone to do, doesn’t mean I didn’t answer.”

Mei’s teasing earned her a weak smile from her husband.

“Now,” Mei said, rising from her seat, “I think we have some leftovers for lunch?”

Hisano nodded but Fujita’s eyes were on her father. “Can we, maybe, ask you some more questions another day?”

Mei stopped and glanced at Kakashi. To her surprise, his head was up to meet her gaze. There was something in his eyes, Mei realized, some dark clouds that were clearing. She smiled at her husband, the kind of heartbroken smile that she usually kept inside. Kakashi brightened his expression in response.

Turning to the girls, Kakashi said, “yes you may ask, but maybe we should wait until the next time your brothers are both home. I think they’d like to hear this too.”

Fujita sighed dramatically. “That’ll take forever. They’re never both home at the same time!”

“Maybe they will be,” Kakashi said, standing up to follow Mei into the kitchen. “When they hear about this.”

Fujita and Hisano looked at each other, smiling. They had done something their brothers had never done, gotten their parents to open up. With squeals of childish joy, they jumped up after their parents, showering them with hugs until Mei barked at them for upsetting the cooking pot. Kakashi tried not to laugh as he ushered his daughters away from his antagonized wife. Mei brandished a spatula threateningly but then she shot Kakashi a smile. She was proud of him.

Even though what they had shared with their daughters was a watered-down version of events, the sharing had been good for all of them. Whether the boys were home together at New Year’s or sooner, Mei looked forward to following through with her husband’s offer. 


	41. A Stony Summit

The doors opened and the five kage shuffled out of their seats to the exit. The sun was setting, casting orange and red light onto the waterfalls that surrounded the Hidden Stone Village. The meeting was, at last, breaking up for the evening.

“Plans for dinner Lord Hokage?” A voice asked.

Kakashi turned, his eyes looking out from beneath the large brim of his Hokage hat. Luckily, the speaker was shorter than him; tilting his entire head up to see someone taller was awkward. Kakashi was tall himself so this wasn’t usually a problem, but he wondered how in the world the Third had always managed? “Not as of yet, Lady Mizukage.”

“Well, the Lord Kazekage and I were wondering if you’d join us?”

Kakashi’s dark eyes traveled to Gaara, who was gathering his notes from the day’s proceedings. As if feeling his gaze, Gaara glanced up and gave Kakashi a slight nod of acknowledgement. Kakashi was the newest kage of the group and although he’d been subtle about it, Gaara was doing everything he could to make Kakashi feel welcome. It was a gesture Kakashi appreciated, considering the last Hatake wasn’t sure he should be among such legends in the first place.

When Kakashi had accepted the position of Hokage, Tsunade was gone within a month with only a backward wave of goodbye. Naruto was inconsolable but Kakashi hadn’t been surprised. Naruto wasn’t around the first time Tsunade had left, which had been more than devastating to the village at the time. Still, things were different now. Kakashi knew that his predecessor would only be gone for a couple of weeks. This was a vacation for her, not another abandonment.

Considering Kakashi’s first few months of adjusting to his new workload, he didn’t blame the woman. Now here he was, at his first summit. Although he was the new member, the others acknowledged him as if he’d always been there. He appreciated their respect, but wasn’t sure if he deserved it. Then there was Gaara, doing his best to make him feel included. It made Kakashi smile a bit under his mask.

Kakashi turned his eyes back to the Mizukage. “I would be honored Lady Mizukage.”

Mei raised an eyebrow. “No need to be so formal, it’s just dinner.”

“Dinner that I usually share with you alone Lady Mizukage,” Gaara walked up. “I appreciate the Hokage’s manners although he should know he’s always welcome.” Gaara almost smiled.

“We should go, before we lose the light,” Mei said.

“Afraid of the dark Lady Mizukage?” Kakashi asked, his tone bordering on teasing.

“Afraid of all the restaurants closing before we get a chance to eat,” Mei countered. “We ran much later this evening.”

“The Tsuchikage’s staff would serve us,” Gaara pointed out.

Mei waved him off. “I don’t want to bother them. Besides, this way we can try the local cuisine.”

“And have more private conversation,” Kakashi pointed out.

Gaara and Mei exchanged looks. Gaara spoke, “I can’t say that it isn’t a factor.”

“But the Raikage and Tsuchikage can see us leaving together,” Kakashi added. “Surely they-”

“Nope, stop it, both of you,” Mei interjected. “We’re not talking politics here.” She massaged her temples.

Kakashi blinked down at her. “But the Kazekage just said-”

“Sometimes,” Mei cut him off again, “we just want to have personal conversations in peace and not worry about who’s listening.”

“But the staff at the restaurant,” Kakashi objected.

“The Kazekage is more than capable of sealing a room for sound,” Mei brushed his concerns aside. Gaara nodded to back up her statement, but at this point he was giving the Mizukage an odd stare. “And we’ve invited the Raikage and Tsuchikage out before, they weren’t interested.”

“Lady Mizukage, do you have an issue with me?” Kakashi asked. He was surprised he’d been allowed to finish this sentence. At first she’d been polite and friendly but her tone had quickly changed to irritated and impatient. Was it because he’d teased her?

Mei stared at him. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

Kakashi looked at her as if she were crazy. Gaara stepped in to help. “Lady Mizukage, you interrupted the Hokage at least three times during this conversation.”

Mei flushed but only for a moment. She didn’t meet either of their eyes. “I apologize Lord Hokage, it won’t happen again.”

Kakashi, unsure about this behavior, glanced at Gaara even as he accepted her apology. Gaara had nothing to offer, giving the slightest of shrugs.

Kakashi knew Gaara well, the Mizukage was more of a mystery. He’d met her a few times of course, but that was when he was a subordinate, albeit a high-ranking one. She had not been present at his coronation but it wasn’t unusual for kage to turn down their invitations. They had their own villages to run after all. This was the first time they’d had a conversation outside of the summit meetings and she was still treating him like some messenger boy caught in the rain.

Kakashi frowned at the memory. He hadn’t made a good impression then and she wasn’t making a good impression now. Kakashi supposed that made them even. He turned his eyes up to smile. “So where are we eating?”

Gaara allowed the change of subject, glancing between the two before leading the way down a side street.

Once they were seated at the eating establishment and the room sealed, Kakashi took off the hat he was beginning to dislike. As he set it down he considered if it was the hat itself that he disliked or what it represented. _He_ was the Hokage. Sometimes, Kakashi still couldn’t believe it. It had made sense that the legendary Professor was Hokage, or one of the sannin. It had been personally strange for Kakashi when his sensei had taken the hat but, like everything else Minato did, he took it on with an ease that made it seem as natural as breathing. Kakashi had never been able to duplicate that level of calm, try as he might. _What do I think I’m doing? Playing at being Hokage_ , Kakashi thought. His shoulders slumped a little beneath his robe. 

Gaara tapped Kakashi’s foot under the table, bringing the new Hokage out of his musings. Mei stared at him expectantly. Kakashi closed his eyes and shook his head. He was beginning to wonder if dining alone wasn’t the better course. “I’m sorry, what was that? I missed it.”

“I suggested,” Mei repeated, “that we skip the alcohol tonight.”

Kakashi nodded in agreement and began to peruse his menu quietly. Gaara and Mei shared a look that Kakashi missed.

Once the three had ordered it was quiet, too quiet. Kakashi cleared his throat and asked, “so did Lady Tsunade usually eat alone?”

Gaara nodded while Mei blurted, “and drank alone too I’m sure.” Then her eyes got wide and her cheeks grew pink with embarrassment. Much to her relief, Kakashi nodded in agreement.

Ice broken, Gaara said in Tsunade’s defense, “it’s very difficult to be a kage.” 

Kakashi shrugged, “Tsunade had an escape, everyone does.”

“What’s yours?” Mei asked without thinking again. She was quite shocked at herself. Since the evening had started, she’d been the definition of outspoken. Something about the new Hokage just made her spit out whatever came to mind. Judging by the looks Gaara kept shooting her, he was confused by the behavior as well.

Kakashi simply smiled. “That’s a Leaf Village secret.”

Mei raised an eyebrow. She stretched the word out to emphasize her disbelief. “Really?”

“It’s less destructive than Tsunade’s, that’s all you need to know,” Kakashi added.

“Less destructive to some, maybe,” Gaara quipped, the smallest of smiles on his face.

Mei’s head swiveled to look at the Kazekage. “You know?!”

“I have an intelligent guess,” Gaara replied. He turned to receive his meal, which had just arrived.

Mei stared, slack-jawed at them both. Since Mei was unmoving, Kakashi accepted her meal from the waiter and set it down before her. Mei blinked at the action, as if no one had ever done her a favor before in her life. She stammered out, with a disbelieving smile. “And neither of you are going to tell me?!”

“That’s the plan,” Kakashi replied cheekily. He started in on his vegetables without another word.

The three of them ate quietly, enjoying the companionable silence. After the war, it had been decided that it was unnecessary to have guards sit in on the summits. Although the kage still had guards that traveled with them and stayed with them in a foreign village, the supporting ninja no longer followed their leader around for fear of an assassination attempt. It was a little absurd anyway. If one kage decided to take out another, how much could the guards really do to prevent it? If anyone were to step in, it would have to be another kage. And if none of the kage stepped up to assist one under attack well then, that was telling in and of itself. Although that may have been a possibility in the past, Kakashi couldn’t see it happening now. That’s what Naruto did. Where before Kakashi could only see threats, Naruto made friends. The five kage had fought together against a common enemy. Even though Kakashi wasn’t Hokage during that time of war, he fought no less than the others.

As their meal concluded and the three said their goodnights, Gaara lingered. He caught Kakashi’s eye and an unspoken agreement passed between them. When they both were sure that the Mizukage was well on her way back, they met up for one last chat.

“Is there something going on between you and the Mizukage?” Gaara asked. “Because I could have eaten alone.”

Kakashi’s eyes widened. “No, of course not.”

Gaara frowned. It appeared that he was reading the signs incorrectly. Maybe that book hadn’t been helpful after all. He was about to give up on his theory when Kakashi spoke again.

“She was acting a bit…odd,” Kakashi admitted. “But there’s nothing-” Kakashi paused, thinking it over. “What do you mean by ‘going on’?”

Gaara attempted to shrug. It was a lot easier with his lighter gourd. “Something, I’m not sure.” If Gaara knew how to be embarrassed, he didn’t show it.

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully. The two said goodnight and parted.

000000

The next day the meetings reconvened as scheduled. The difference, at least Kakashi thought it was different, was that Mei barely looked at him. She seemed to meet the others’ eyes when they spoke but when it came time for Kakashi to speak, she always looked at her notes or at the table or off into space as if in deep thought. This was the kind of treatment Kakashi had expected from the veteran kage. However, after yesterday’s warm, if strange, welcome this change left him confused. The Mizukage also seemed to be avoiding Gaara’s eye but Kakashi wasn’t certain about that. He hadn’t observed the Mizukage’s interactions with the Kazekage the previous day.

At the break, Gaara broached the subject. “It would appear that Lady Mizukage is upset with us.”

Kakashi nodded, glad it wasn’t just his imagination. “Did she say anything to you?”

Before Gaara could answer, both men felt a chill in the room. They both reacted by looking up and their eyes met the sight of the Mizukage, glaring at them openly.

“I’ve seen that look before,” Kakashi commented idly.

Gaara nodded. “She’s definitely angry.”

“If you’ll excuse me Lord Kazekage,” Kakashi said, angling to speak with the irate Mizukage. However, before he finished taking his first step, she was gone with a flick of her hair. Kakashi blinked. “We’ll talk later then,” Kakashi spoke to the empty air.

000000

Although Kakashi meant to focus on the business at hand, he couldn’t keep his mind, or eyes, from drifting to the Mizukage. She continued to ignore Kakashi and Gaara when they spoke. If the new Hokage let this go, this could change from a personal problem to a political one. He couldn’t risk damaging Leaf and Mist relations due to a misunderstanding.

His ankle bobbed nervously under the table as the time ticked by. When the last order of business had been concluded for the day, Kakashi was the first to stand. However, the Mizukage was the first out the door. He frowned and, with a signal to Gaara that he was going to try to speak to her again, took off.

The Mizukage proved to be a worthy opponent to track. She had been a Hunter nin, or so Kakashi had read, but he was a born and bred tracker. Focusing on her scent, it was light and warm with a hint of flora, he followed her trail that twisted and turned throughout the Stone Village. At one point she’d darted through an open market and Kakashi wasn’t sure if she was trying to lose him or playing with him. The way she had moved through the crowd to confuse her scent made it seem like she was testing him.

After a fascinating chase, the Mizukage stopped and Kakashi approached cautiously. She had crossed two rivers to get to an overlook behind a waterfall. The falling water, Kakashi noticed appreciatively, would mask all sounds of conversation. _Is her anger a matter that she wants to discuss in private? Or is she going to murder me and make it look like an accident?_ Kakashi brushed the second option aside. There was no reason to be that paranoid.

Kakashi rounded the corner and saw her standing, arms crossed, in the stone hollow behind the waterfall. The curtain of water blocked them from the view of the village. The Hokage took her crossed arms as a defensive gesture and approached slowly. When he’d climbed the moss coated steps to the overlook, he joined the Mizukage in her silent vigil. 

When Mei didn’t say anything, Kakashi spoke, repeating the question he’d asked the day before. “Do you have a problem with me Lady Mizukage?”

“I didn’t, until you and the Kazekage felt the need to have a private conversation the second I departed.” Mei’s eyebrow rose. She dared him to deny it.

Kakashi felt his jaw loosen. Before he could utter a word, the Mizukage went on.

“If you two want some time alone then that’s fine, but don’t sneak around behind my back. It’s very rude.” She gave him a significant glance, her green eyes flashing. “It also looks very suspicious.”

Kakashi opened his mouth but then stopped. He couldn’t deny that they’d been speaking of her, because that would be an outright lie. However, he had to explain in a way that made their conversation seem as innocent as it had been. Relatively innocent anyway. How could Kakashi tell the Mizukage that the Kazekage thought they had a secret relationship? Kakashi was suddenly reminded of his gossiping genin and couldn’t restrain a light chuckle.

Mei bristled. “Is this funny to you,” she demanded, almost snarling.

Kakashi quickly wiped the mirth from his face, the little of it that showed. “No Lady Mizukage, I don’t find this misunderstanding humorous at all. I was simply reminded of something,” he stopped again, realizing that he was rambling. “I was reminded of my students, briefly. The next generation constantly surprises me.”

Mei looked as if she wanted to ask what he meant but she withheld the question. The Mizukage’s pride was still hurt. She waited.

Kakashi shifted his weight, settling into a more relaxed stance. He was pleased to see Mei relax her arms in response. “The Kazekage and I are old friends and I simply wanted to ask him, as a friend, if I was doing alright with the other kage, among other things.” Kakashi desperately hoped that she wouldn’t ask what those other things were.

Mei’s guard lowered further. “Was that all?”

Kakashi hoped that a white lie wouldn’t hurt. It was really only half of a lie since he’d said that they were discussing the kage and Mei was one of those kage. “Yes.”

“Including me?” Mei asked.

_Busted_. “Including you,” Kakashi admitted.

Mei raised an eyebrow but then let the Hokage off the hook. “I see.” After a moment, the Mizukage spoke again, “even though I’ve been Mizukage longer than the Kazekage, he and I feel like the outliers of the group. The Kazekage was quick to defend me when the other kage would not accept my explanations for…certain events.”

Kakashi nodded, knowing to what events the Mizukage referred.

“When it was clear that the Kazekage wanted to help ease you into the group, I was more than happy to assist him. Although,” Mei smiled, “I have to say I’m jealous. You have more support among this group than I’ll ever have and it’s only your first meeting.”

Kakashi was taken aback, shaking his head. “I don’t think that’s true Lady Mizukage. The older kage, they respected my sensei, respected my father-” Kakashi stopped himself. “I think the kage’s regard goes to them, not to me. I feel more out of place in that circle,” Kakashi nodded back in the general direction of the meeting chambers in town, “than anywhere else.” 

Mei smiled. It was a nice, gentle smile. “That’s how I feel every day.” She looked out over the valley below, a valley full of former enemies. “Sometimes I feel like the only place I really belong is-”

“In the field,” Kakashi finished for her this time. Mei looked up at him, her mouth ajar, but the Hokage wasn’t looking at her. “On a mission, everything is quiet and clear and relatively simple. The battlefield of politics is far more treacherous than I even realized.” Kakashi sighed, leaning onto the railing with his arms crossed.

Mei’s eyes were glued to him. She couldn’t, or didn’t, want to look away.

“It is a challenge,” Kakashi muttered, almost to himself, “that’s for sure.”

“And sometimes I don’t feel up to it,” Mei added, her face serious.

Kakashi’s gaze switched over to her, as if he’d forgotten that she was there. However, his eyes warmed when he looked at her, as if he was smiling. “But you always are, aren’t you Lady Mizukage? Because people need you to be.”

Mei was very still, not wanting the moment of understanding to end. Despite all of the time that she and the Kazekage had spent together, Gaara had never voiced her thoughts as if he was reading her mind, not the way that Kakashi just had. It was a breathtaking release, this understanding between them. And the Hokage made it seem so easy.

The politician in her wanted to raise her guard, to keep in mind that the Hokage might just be fishing for information or manipulating her, but Mei knew he wasn’t. He was speaking his mind, as one ninja to another, in frank terms that reminded Mei of the final days of the war. There had been no secrets then, nothing held back. She was sorry that Chojuro hadn’t seen much of that side of the battlefield. It was something that, to this day, made her heart swell to think of it.

The two kage stood there, lost in their own thoughts. Then Mei started to feel awkward, remembering what they were doing up there in the first place. “I’m sorry for being rude today,” she finally spoke.

Kakashi glanced over but when he caught her looking, she held his gaze. “I’m sorry you thought that Gaara and I were scheming against you.”

Mei’s eyes widened. “I didn’t think-” Then she saw the mirth in Kakashi’s eyes and had to laugh. When was the last time someone had teased her as if she were just a normal person to speak with?

Before Mei could say another word, Kakashi spoke first. “Goodnight Lady Mizukage,” and with a swirl of leaves he was gone.

The Mizukage wasn’t sure if she was upset by his sudden departure or not. Should she feel insulted? Embarrassed? He did, she reasoned, take away the problem she had in the back of her mind about how to disengage from the conversation. Political talks usually had a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Personal conversations with friends didn’t need to be that formal, especially with the beginning and ending. Personal conversations with political figures who were near strangers? That was rocky ground. By suddenly leaving, Kakashi took the burden of being rude onto himself. He also took away Mei’s choice about whether or not to end the conversation and this annoyed her a bit. The conversation left her confused but strangely giddy as well. Mei walked back to her room with a pensive frown on her face. Sleep came gradually as Mei puzzled over the riddle that was the Sixth Hokage.

The next day, Mei was sure to look at the Kazekage and Hokage in equal portions with the other kage. She had been rude to ignore them the day before. Still, she was happy to see, when her eyes passed that way, that the Hokage seemed a little more at ease in his seat. His gaze traveled from one kage to the next while his shoulders did not hold the tension they had in the previous days.

Mei mentally considered the times she’d dealt with the Leaf ninja before he’d been Hokage. She specifically remembered an exhausted man who had succeeded in protecting his students despite everything. A small smile played over her lips as Kakashi made a point to the Raikage. _He’ll do just fine,_ Mei thought. _He won’t be a struggle to work with after all. I don’t have to retire just yet._

From the next seat over, the Kazekage watched the Mizukage watch the Hokage. Gaara’s pale eyes slowly changed their focus from Mei to Kakashi and then back again. When the Mizukage’s lips rounded into a tiny smile, the Kazekage’s expression did not change. However, Gaara did continue to watch, and wonder.


	42. Hounded Hatake

Roka ran down the hall excitedly. For the most part he was a serious child, especially when it came to his academy studies, but on occasion he’d act just like any other non-genius youngster. Mei treasured these moments, particularly when Kakashi reminded her that he’d hardly ever acted “his age” in his youth.

Hearing Roka’s thundering footsteps, Kasumi was also soon awake and pulling on clothes. He was in the kitchen in time to hear Roka ask, “where’s father?”

Mei gave her eldest a sidelong glance, “good morning to you too, dear child.”

Roka grinned in embarrassment. “Sorry. Good morning mother.” Kasumi joined them with his own greetings.

Mei smiled at her boys, nodding at Kasumi. “Good morning, and your father is out.”

“Out where?” Kasumi asked while Roka dished up some rice, miso, and fish for the both of them.

Hearing voices, the twins were also roused from sleep. They entered the kitchen, rubbing sleepy eyes in matching smocks. Their vibrant hair was in a state of half unraveled braids.

Mei answered slowly, “I think he’s gone to read.”

“He can read here,” Kasumi pointed out. Roka was gobbling his breakfast. Seeing this, Kasumi did likewise.

“But it’s not as quiet here,” Mei replied in a stage whisper. Then, seeing what they were doing, she switched to her regular voice and said, “boys don’t bolt your food please!”

Roka was already rinsing his dishes. “I’m going to go find him.” He nearly threw his dishes into the drying rack as Kasumi hurried to the sink.

Mei’s eyes widened, “boys, I think your father wanted to be alone.” But they were already out the door. She turned to see her daughters scrambling to pull their hair back and then giving up, letting it fly as they took off after their brothers. “Girls! Breakfast!”

Mei’s cry was drowned out by Fujita’s call to her brothers, “wait for us!”

Distantly Mei heard, “keep up then!” Hollered from the street. She shook her head and turned back to the kitchen. At least they’d cleaned up after themselves. Shrugging, she went to do a little reading of her own.

000000

“Where could he be?” Roka asked no one in particular. The four Hatake children stood at an intersection. Pedestrians and wagons alike moved past them on the Leaf street.

“Training ground?” Hisano offered.

“Mom said he was reading,” Kasumi said.

“Why couldn’t he be reading at a training ground?” Hisano whispered to her sister. Fujita shrugged.

Roka sniffed the air and, after a moment of thought, had an idea. He bit his thumb to draw blood and two shaggy black pups appeared under his palm. “Follow me,” he advised his siblings. 

000000

It was a beautiful day in the Leaf. The sky was a bit overcast but that was alright. The weather had been hot the last few days but the shade promising rain later plus the breeze made it just right. It was the prefect to time to catch up on some reading, hidden up a tree, after laying several false trails.

Even as a father, Kakashi enjoyed his alone time. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his children and wife but everyone needed to get some space every once in awhile. Unfortunately for Kakashi, the Hatake children had made it their personal mission, or rather, game, to find their father during these periods of self-reflection. When getting ready for bed one evening, Kakashi wondered aloud why Mei didn’t have these problems when she’d slip off to the baths by herself. Mei, who was already half-asleep in bed, said groggily, “I don’t know dear, maybe they just like you better.” 

The retired Hokage hadn’t been able to read in weeks and now, up this perfectly camouflaged tree, in the middle of a forgotten park mashed between training grounds, he had his chance. He withdrew the green volume from his pouch reverently and split the covers to the appropriate page. Kakashi leaned back into the bark, shifting a bit from side to side to get settled. He stretched both of his legs out and then decided he wanted the right one bent. Perfect.

Looking down at the page now, Kakashi read the first line and then stopped suddenly as if his eyes were stuck on that spot in the book. He closed his eyes and gently thumped the back of his head into the trunk behind him in frustration.

It only took a few moments after that. Kakashi was already closing the volume with a defeated sigh.

There was the sound of yipping barks and running feet.

“Found him! He’s over here!” Fujita called shrilly to her siblings.

Faster than the rest, Roka ran straight up the trunk of the tree and squatted on the same branch as his father. His two cheerful summons sat at the base, entertaining themselves now that their task was complete.

Kasumi followed his brother, also using his chakra to scale the tree but at a slower pace. He watched his feet as he ascended, dark green eyes squinting in concentration. 

Hisano stopped at the foot of the tree and looked up, gauging the height. Fujita rushed up and was able to stick to the tree for two steps before she lost control and fell with a squeal. Roka’s startled summons vanished in their surprise. Hisano moved to break her sister’s fall and they both tumbled to the ground. Fujita got up and smiled sheepishly. Then both daughters jumped to the branch next to their father.

“Well hello,” Kakashi said, as if he’d just noticed the circus that was his growing family. He slipped the book back into his pouch.

“What are you doing father?” Roka asked.

Kakashi shrugged, “catching up on some reading.”

Fujita hopped into his lap. “Would you read to us?” Her green eyes looked up at him hopefully.

Kakashi grew pale and scratched the back of his head. “Not today Fujita.” After an awkward pause, Kakashi smiled, thinking of what he could do with his children that would be productive. “Ah, well,” Kakashi said, giving up on reading completely, “I suppose if it isn’t alone time then it’s family time.”

“Are you going to hide again for us Daddy?” Fujita was practically jumping at the prospect.

Kakashi raised his eyebrows. “No, that really wasn’t what I had in mind.”

Duel, disappointed eyes watched their father. “I’m getting breakfast,” Hisano announced, hand on her stomach. “We win this challenge again Daddy.” She gave him a thumbs up and jumped down from the branch she’d been perched on. Kakashi desperately hoped that her mimicking “Uncle Guy” was just a phase. It had to be a phase. _Had to be._

“Me too, try harder next time Daddy,” Fujita advised, jumping after her twin.

Kakashi shook his head in exasperation. Next time, he’d actually have to try. He couldn’t have his children discounting him like this.

The Hatake patriarch looked at his sons and his mind drifted to the unruly pups that had recently been frolicking in the grass. He smiled behind his mask. “Well,” he looked at Kasumi, “is it time for another Hatake to start his pack?”

Roka’s face beamed with excitement. Kakashi had taught him how to summon his own hounds during his first year at the academy. He only had two hounds so far but that was alright, Roka wasn’t sure he wanted any more. Kasumi, however, was more hesitant and hadn’t signed the contract yet. Roka looked at his brother and was happy to see a shy smile on Kasumi’s face. The younger boy nodded after only a moment of hesitation.

Kakashi nodded in reply and stood. His sons rose as well, looking up at their father’s tall figure. Together, the three jumped down to the grass below.

Roka was so excited for his brother that he was practically dancing. “Are you going to give him the speech Dad?”

Kakashi chuckled, trying to settle his eldest with a placating gesture. “In a minute, unless you want to?” The retired Hokage sat down in the grass.

Roka sat cross-legged on the ground, shaking his head. “It’s better when you tell it.”

“What speech?” Kasumi asked, sitting next to his brother.

Kakashi eye-smiled. “The same speech my father gave me when he taught me to summon my hounds, or at least close to it. Now,” Kakashi paused, thinking of how he wanted to begin. Kasumi wiggled nervously. “Kasumi, I don’t know if I ever told you that the Hatake clan has a clan symbol.”

“Really?” Kasumi asked, curious.

Kakashi nodded. “I thought not. Our symbol isn’t used much anymore. We don’t wear it like some clans do. Before your mother and I got married, I was the only Hatake so it- it didn’t seem that important to display.”

Kasumi didn’t know what to make of his father’s sudden, sad demeanor so he kept silent.

Kakashi blinked and then he was smiling again. “I’ll draw it for you.” Kakashi located a stick and began to sketch in the dirt as he spoke. “Generations ago, before the era of warring states, our family was one of farmers, just like how today we’re a family of ninja.” Kakashi drew a square in front of him that was standing on one point. “However, as the world became more violent, our ancestors realized that to protect our farmland, and more importantly our loved ones, we would have to fight.” Once Kakashi had finished the square, he drew four lines inside of the box. The lines crisscrossed in such a way that they formed a grid inside of the square with nine smaller, but equal boxes within the larger one. “And so we became ninja and-”

“Dad,” Roka interrupted. His face displayed such puzzlement that Kakashi didn’t mind that he’d been interrupted.

“What is it Roka?”

Roka suddenly blushed, as if realizing his rudeness. Still, his father nodded encouragingly so the boy continued. “If our ninja hounds live somewhere else, then how did we get the contract in the first place?”

Kasumi looked eagerly at his father but Kakashi could only smile at his sons. “You know Roka, I asked my father the same thing when I learned to summon. He couldn’t tell me because he didn’t know. Pakkun doesn’t know either and the older dogs aren’t willing to share the information with him. And I don’t recognize any names in the contract scroll beyond your great-grandfather’s.” Kakashi didn’t want to put too fine a point on the fact that they were the only Hatake left. It was a bit depressing if he thought about it too much.

Kakashi coughed. “Anyway,” he gestured back at the symbol drawn on the ground, “the grid is meant to represent a farm field but,” he held up a finger as if to forestall their dismissal, “that’s not all it means.” Kakashi looked at Kasumi since Roka could anticipate his question. “Kasumi, how many summons do I have?”

Kasumi paused, counting in his head quickly. He knew all of his father’s summons of course, their names and habits, where they liked to be scratched best, but he’d never given any thought to the actual number of the group. “Eight,” he answered confidently.

Kakashi nodded. He gestured at the grid again. “Traditionally,” Kakashi side-glanced at his eldest playfully. Roka stuck his tongue out at his father in jest. “Each Hatake makes a pack of nine for himself or herself.”

Kasumi frowned at the grid. “You have another summons Dad? Why haven’t we seen him?”

“Not nine summons Kasumi,” Kakashi corrected. “Nine members of a pack.” The Hatake clan head drew blood, folded his hands, and summoned his hounds. Eight familiar ninja dogs appeared around Kakashi. “ _I_ am the ninth member.” Kakashi reached out and poked his son gently in the chest. “Just like how you’ll be the ninth member of your pack, if you want.”

Kasumi looked back down at the Hatake clan symbol. It was nine squares within a larger square, separate, but also one unit, one pack. 

“Kasumi’s getting ‘the speech’ huh?” Pakkun asked Roka in the following silence. Roka nodded, grinning, in response.

“Now,” Kakashi said before the editorial could continue, “that’s just a tradition that my father told me about. Not every Hatake signs the summoning contract. Roka has signed it but he tells me that he only wants two summons.” Roka steadfastly nodded. “And even my father-” Kakashi cut himself off at that. Then he coughed. “The White Fang was practically a pack unto himself.”

Kakashi’s eyes got distant for a moment, then two. Pakkun snuffled at his friend’s hand until he broke Kakashi out of his memories. The silver haired man smiled down at the pug, then back at Kasumi.

“Do you want to sign the summoning contract Kasumi?”

Kasumi smiled in that soft way that reminded Kakashi so much of Mei. The answer was clear on his face. “Yes Father.”

Kakashi nodded. “Pakkun, would you fetch the contract scroll please?”

Pakkun shrugged. “I resent the word ‘fetch’ but yeah, I’ll get it. Hold on.”

Before the cloud of smoke labeling his disappearance could disperse, Pakkun was back with a small but thick scroll in his jaws.

Kakashi took the scroll and rolled it out on the ground to the blank space next to Roka’s signature and bloody hand print. Kasumi had seen his father and brother summon enough times to know what had to be done next. He pulled a kunai out of his pouch and nicked his finger. He barely noticed the sting, such were his nerves.

Following the pattern made by the other Hatake’s in the scroll, Kasumi wrote out his name in blood before pressing his bloodied fingertips to the paper. After that was finished, Kakashi picked the scroll up with a flourish and rolled it back up, returning it to Pakkun’s care.

Kasumi took a slow breath. His stomach felt fluttery and light, as if it’d swell up until he floated away like a balloon. He wanted to summon a dog on his first try, he just had to focus.

“Roka?” Kakashi broke Kasumi’s concentration. “Do you want to bring your boys back here for this? It will help Kasumi’s first summon to find some familiar faces on this side.”

“Oh right,” Roka brightened. He’d been entirely intent on his brother, willing him to be confident in himself. Now the eldest boy cut his thumb with a canine tooth and summoned his two pups. They were both shaggy little black things, their oversized paws belying how they’d grow. Both dogs were ecstatic to see Roka again and the three were soon wrestling on the ground.

Kasumi smiled at his brother and his summons. However, when Kakashi cleared his throat, Roka and Kasumi both straighten up. The black hounds with their curly tails also sat at attention. The butterflies were back, floating Kasumi’s stomach.

“Don’t be nervous,” Kakashi advised. “Your Uncle Naruto wasn’t able to summon anything the first few times he tried to summon a toad. There is no shame in it. It just takes practice.”

Kasumi glanced up. The pressure of his father’s gaze concerned him but, when they locked eyes, there was only warmth in Kakashi’s expression. Kasumi smiled. Using the blood that was already flowing over his hand, he’d nicked himself a little harder than he’d intended, Kasumi duplicated his father’s hand signs and put his hand to the ground, concentrating. Then Kasumi felt something, his chakra pulled on a signature that was both familiar and unknown to him. Then with a pop, his hand was touching fur, soft and sleek. He cried out in surprise, pulling his hand back.

A white and brown spotted puppy blinked up at them, and then immediately sneezed. Roka’s puppies surged forward, tails wagging. Kasumi immediately reacted, moving to put himself between his puppy and his brother’s. Their enthusiasm was appreciated but he didn’t want them to bowl the little creature over.

Roka rushed forward to be between his hounds-in-training, nearly as eager as they were. “Wow, he’s amazing Kasumi!”

Kasumi looked under his protective arms to see the puppy gazing up at him. Its tail was wagging in that over-excited, uncoordinated way that a puppy’s tail does. “Hey there,” Kasumi greeted, giving the puppy his hand to sniff. The adorable brown and white hound-to-be gave Kasumi’s hand a lick. He was pleased to receive pets in return.

“His name is Mame,” Pakkun informed the company. He was trying to stay formal and passive but at hearing his name, Mame rushed over to give Pakkun a solid lick. The older hound tried his best not to smile.

Mame seemed to notice the other summons for the first time. His tail wagging efforts redoubled as he tripped/ran over to greet Kakashi’s and Roka’s summons.

Kasumi couldn’t seem to focus on anything but his puppy and the elation he felt. Then a hand was on his shoulder. The boy looked up to meet his father’s smiling face. “That’s my boy,” Kakashi said, ruffling Kasumi’s hair.

The younger son beamed under his father’s praise.

“How about we all walk home and introduce Mame to your mother and sisters,” the father advised. “Then we’ll send them all back for a rest. Kasumi, you might want to carry him. He’s not strong enough for such a long walk yet, but he will be.”

The puppy wagged his tail in response. Kasumi scooped the little creature up and then held its wiggling form as Mame attempted to see and smell everything on the trip back.

“Mei, we’re home,” Kakashi called as they entered the house.

The house was even more interesting to Mame and he was dying to leap out of Kasumi’s arms and explore everything. However, he was soon distracted by the Hatake females.

“Oh Kasumi, you signed the contract,” Mei said as soon as she saw hounds and humans alike beaming. Mei smiled at them all in return and then greeted the new arrival before the twins rushed in, cooing. “Well it’s a good thing I planned something special for dinner,” Mei stated, giving Kakashi a look. “You went to read and came back with another summon?”

Kakashi shrugged. “Mah, what else was I supposed to do with the boys all day?” His grin showed through his mask and Mei rolled her eyes.

“You’re only a little proud right?”

“Only a little,” Kakashi answered, beaming at his sons.

“Just wait until the girls start summoning.” Mei warned, getting out the dishes. “You said that the hound typically matches with the summoner right? That’s why all of your hounds are male?”

Kakashi’s face froze. “Oh no,” the color drained from his face.

“Oh yes,” Mei countered. “Are you ready to deal with ninja hounds in heat?”

Kakashi sighed. “And I was having such a nice, care-free day.”

Mei snorted. “Well that’s what I’m here for, to keep you grounded.”

Kakashi wrapped his arms around his wife, keeping her from her chores. “Just one of the many reasons why I love you.” Together, the couple looked at their children, who were sitting in a circle around the excited puppy. Roka’s black puppies were standing on either side of him, their heads barely able to see over his shoulders. They watched the new member with interest, memorizing his smell.

Fujita and Hisano giggled in turn as Mame licked their faces and hands. “When do we get to have summons Daddy?” Fujita asked between lick attacks.

Kakashi shot his wife a look that she ignored. “Um,” Kakashi began, refocusing on his children. “I think it’s about time to send everyone home. Dinner is almost ready.”

“Aw,” the children chorused. However, Mame was already losing steam. His tail was still wagging but his walking was becoming less coordinated.

“Yes aw,” Kakashi replied. “Hounds need their rest.”

Pakkun snorted. “Where was that mentality when you were in ANBU.”

“Do you want to come out of retirement?” Kakashi asked, eyebrow raised.

Kakashi’s seven other hounds shook their heads or muttered, “no”. Pakkun met Kakashi’s eye though. “You wouldn’t.”

“I could.”

Mei broke up the staring contest. “No one is going back on active duty. Now break it up you two.” She turned to the hounds. “Thank you all for stopping by, you’re welcome here any time.”

Kakashi’s hounds all grinned at the retired Mizukage before all eleven summons poofed back to their home.

Kasumi frowned. “I miss him already.”

Kakashi patted his head. “You can summon him again tomorrow. For now, he needs his rest, just like you do when your mother sends you to bed.”

Kasumi frowned at this explanation despite the fact that Kakashi had to carry him to bed just last week. Really, Kasumi was too old to be carried to bed, but Kakashi couldn’t help spoiling his children sometimes. They were growing up so fast.   
  



	43. Agree

Kakashi tucked Roka into his bedroll. He pushed the silver hair so much like his own back to see his eldest’s sleeping face. Roka was going to need another haircut soon.

It had been a long day. They’d had to flee their home, once again, when they’d come under attack. Kakashi glanced up at Mei, who’d just finished tucking Kasumi in. She held his gaze and then looked away, lips pursed.

Kakashi joined her around the fire he’d built. They had retreated far from their home to lure their pursuers into a trap. The would-be kidnappers had assumed that the kage couple was fleeing toward the Leaf. In fact, they only led them to their deaths. However, the fight had taken longer than anticipated and they decided that it was best to camp out for the night.

Kakashi watched the fire, waiting for his wife to speak her mind. He didn’t have to wait long.

Mei looked over at him, fire reflected in her green eyes. “Why do you needlessly put yourself at risk?”

Kakashi glanced over at her, eyes passive. He said nothing.

Mei stood up in a huff and grasped her husband’s arm. He winced a bit and Mei relinquished her grip.

Kakashi, like a scolded child, attempted to pull his shirt off. It was an awkward effort and Mei reached out to help him. As the torn material tugged at his wound, Kakashi clenched his teeth but remained silent. They pulled his shirt off together to reveal a shoulder wound.

Mei sighed when she saw the lacerated skin. “That’ll need stitches,” she said blankly.

Kakashi hunched forward, still looking at the fire. Mei gathered together the medical supplies and brought them over. After giving the wound a quick wash, Mei began to stitch the skin back together with a curved needle. The stitches were uniform but the execution of them was not gentle.

When a particular jerk set Kakashi’s teeth on edge he finally spat out, “could you be more careful?”

Mei tossed her hair angrily and stooped to face her husband. “ _You_ want _me_ to be more careful?” Kakashi glanced away from her but she reached for his face. Cupping his cheek, she turned his head to face her.

“It’s not that bad,” Kakashi argued. A kunai had clipped him when he pulled Mei out of the way of an enemy’s kick. He hadn’t dodged in time and the blade had cut through his unarmored shoulder.

“You didn’t need to come to my rescue,” Mei exclaimed fiercely. She kept her voice low, conscious of their sleeping children. “You can’t keep throwing yourself into danger-”

“I will throw myself into danger at every opportunity if it means you and the boys are safe,” Kakashi cut her off, his dark eyes burning like coals.

Mei stood up, indignant. “Kakashi this is not the Leaf and we are not your team.”

Kakashi glared up at her, the fire casting a shadow over half of his face.

“We are your family,” Mei continued.

“A family that I am not willing to lose,” Kakashi added.

“And do you think we’re willing to lose you? That we could just go on without you? You are my husband and you are a father. Your existence is just as vital to us as we are to you. So don’t you ever try throwing your life away again,” Mei ended with a hiss. Tears were running down her face and she fell to her knees beside him.

Kakashi looked at her. He slowly lifted up a hand and wiped her tears away with his thumb. “I’ll never see that as throwing my life away,” he responded quietly.

Mei stood up again, angry now. “You are insufferable,” she whispered harshly. “You didn’t have your armor, that kunai could have hit you in the heart.”

“But it didn’t,” he countered.

Mei looked like she was going to start shouting at him but stopped herself. “I’m going to bed.” Mei stepped over and laid down on the ground near Kasumi. Kakashi did the same by Roka. If they suddenly had to move camp, the parents didn’t like to spend extra time hurrying to grab their children. Normally they disliked sleeping apart but that night, they appreciated the distance.

The next morning the family of four walked back to the house. After only a couple of hours of travel, they arrived at the outskirts of their property. Kakashi was about to take down the perimeter seal when Mei held out a hand. The Hatake stopped, looking at his wife. He hadn’t looked in her face all morning. Now he saw that it was tense. “What is it?” Kakashi asked.

Mei shook her head. “Boobytrapped,” Mei replied shortly. “Take the boys, I’ll handle this.”

“Maybe I should-” Kakashi began but Mei cut him off with a glare. Her eyes clearly said that she was still upset with him.

Kakashi looked down into his sons’ faces. Kasumi simply wanted an explanation while Roka looked worried. Kakashi smiled at them. “Let’s go look for toads,” Kakashi said cheerfully. “Mom needs to check something out before we go back.” He took each of their hands in his and they toddled into the forest, out of sight of the house. Kakashi looked back at Mei one last time but she didn’t see him, already forming the signs to release the barrier.

The Hatake males didn’t get far before Kasumi held his arms up to his father. Kakashi chuckled and picked him up. It would be easier for them to move through the uneven forest floor anyway. Roka was only marginally better at navigating the uneven ground.

They got a little bit further only to be stopped by the sound of an explosion somewhere off behind them. Kakashi froze and then turned toward the sound, toward the house. Kasumi began to whine a little and tap Kakashi’s arms with his tiny hands. The Leaf ninja looked distractedly at his son before loosening his grip. The boy immediately quieted. “Sorry Kasumi,” Kakashi whispered, unable to say anything besides that. His senses were focused, once again, on something he couldn’t see.

Roka grasped his father’s pant leg. “Is Mommy okay?” His worried, innocent face searched his father’s. The boy anxiously pushed his long silver locks out of his eyes with his free hand.

Kakashi glanced down and put on his best eye-smile. “Of course she is, Mom’s indestructible.”

Kakashi wasn’t convincing enough; Roka saw the worry in his eyes. The boy frowned and watched the forest along with his father until Kakashi said, “why don’t you and your brother practice hiding again? I’m going to go see what happened.” Kakashi looked down at his son’s pale face. “You remember what to do, right?”

Roka nodded. Kakashi slowly set Kasumi down and the boys joined hands. They were about to scamper out of sight when Kasumi giggled and began tugging on Roka’s hand, pulling him in the opposite direction. Mei had stepped into the clearing. The boys ran to her, all smiles.

Kakashi just stared, unable to move with the wash of relief crashing through him. Mei had only a second to be surprised by her husband’s ashen face before her boys attempted to tackle her.

Mei shushed their cries of joy and squatted down to their level. “My brave boys, guess what? We’re going to be camping out for a few more days.”

Both of their faces fell. There was no reason to camp out when they were that close to their home so early in the day. “Did something happen to the house again?” Roka asked softly.

Mei nodded. “I’m afraid it has. But at least we’ll get to see Uncle Yamato again right?”

The boys brightened slightly and nodded. They started to hunt for rocks to put around the fire pit. Collecting rocks was something the boys liked to do anyway, so Kakashi had turned it into their usual camp setup task. Leaving them to their “chore”, Mei stood and walked over to her husband.

The couple didn’t speak for several moments. Then Mei looked over at him again, noting that his color was improving. She said, “that’s how it feels when you put yourself in danger unnecessarily.”

Kakashi glared at her. “That’s mean,” he accused, but didn’t say anything else. Mei had to continue the conversation on her own.

“The house was set to explode the moment we stepped in. I couldn’t disarm it without setting off something else.”

Kakashi nodded. “Naruto will have seen the seal disappear on his wall. Yamato and a team will be sent out within a day to check on us.” His voice was flat. He turned to his wife. “You had to blow up the house to make a point?”

Mei bristled. “I did not want to lose the house again just to prove a point to you Hatake Kakashi. How dare you imply that I’d put our children out of their warm home? Having us start fresh again?” Mei crossed her arms.

“Well then you shouldn’t have implied it,” Kakashi growled out.

“Kakashi,” Mei hissed out, “you have spent your entire life putting yourself in harm’s way to make someone else’s life better. You need to start thinking of us when you do that.”

“I am thinking of you,” Kakashi retorted. “If I’m putting myself in harm’s way to protect you or Roka or Kasumi, I’m doing it thinking of you!”

“But I was fine Kakashi! And I was fine the time before that!”

“You don’t know that,” Kakashi’s voice rose with his anger. “What we _do_ know is that I am not dead. I took a gamble and it payed off.”

“And what happens when one day it doesn’t?” Mei barked back.

“We’re ninja, or did you forget that?”

“We’re _retired_ Kakashi,” Mei cried, exasperated. 

Kakashi just shook his head. “Hokage don’t retire, they die.”

Mei opened her mouth but then shut it. _Not all the Hokage died in office, but_ all _of the Mizukage did, besides me,_ Mei stared at Kakashi. “Kakashi, I am not your sensei, nor am I my predecessors. Chojuro didn’t have to kill me to get the hat, I gave it to him.”

“That’s not what this is about,” Kakashi muttered.

“Then what it is about?” Mei demanded. “Because we’re talking in circles now.”

“I-” Kakashi stopped himself, washing his face with his hands. “I am doing the best I can to protect this family. You would get on better without me than I would without you.”

Mei’s eyes softened. “Kakashi, you would be just fine. Your students would help you. At least then we wouldn’t have to worry about what village they’d graduate from anymore.” She tried to smile but Kakashi’s face was downcast. The sky was slowly getting darker, it would rain soon.

“My students would help me,” Kakashi agreed. “But I would not be ‘just fine’. And the boys need their mother.” He didn’t even touch on Mei bringing up the academy issue again. That was an argument for another day.

Mei reached out and pulled her husband close. It was a bit awkward trying to comfort him when he was also a head taller than she was, but she managed. She rubbed his back and sighed. “You would be just fine,” Mei repeated.

Kakashi shook his head, not looking at her. “You have no way of knowing that, so please stop saying it like it’s true.”

Mei smiled into his chest. “I already do know that.” They held each other close, breathing in the scent of the forest and impending rain.

Kakashi pulled away first. “The ones that set the trap are probably still around…”

Mei shook her head in answer, dispelling his fears. That and she didn’t want to let him go yet. “Promise me you’ll be more careful from now on. I need you…now more than ever.”

“Mei-”

“Promise me.”

Kakashi looked down into her green eyes. They were dark green in the morning light but they still glowed with passion. “I promise.” Thunder rumbled in the distance.

Mei looked at the sky. “Looks like we won’t be getting out of the storm after all.”

“I can show the boys the mud hut technique I picked up,” Kakashi smiled.

Mei sighed. “Don’t _help_ them play in mud.”

Kakashi shrugged. “It’ll be a little while until you have to worry about them tracking it in anywhere.”

Mei’s straight face turned to a frown. 

Kakashi held up his hands. “Sorry, sorry, I don’t want to fight.”

“Maybe we should,” Mei retorted. “And get this over with.”

Kakashi snorted. “And have Yamato arrive with me unconscious again? No thank you.”

Mei smiled. She’d have to tell him soon, about the new baby, but not that day. 


	44. Naruto Story Time

“There once was a circus,” Naruto began, “the most amazing circus you’ve ever seen. There were clowns and tightrope walkers, tumblers and fire breathers, but two performers stood out above them all.”

The children gasped, minus Roka, who stubbornly had his nose in a book. This particular tome was on medical ninjutsu. Sakura had brought it along for herself but, after seeing Roka’s interest in the book and thinking the advanced text would put the new academy student to sleep, let him borrow it. Two hours later, he was still reading it and none of the children looked tired. Naruto had begun to tell bedtime stories in hopes of lulling the other Hatake children to sleep but Roka was too busy absorbing the text. 

“One,” Naruto continued, “was a juggler, the best juggler you’ve ever seen. He could juggle while standing on his head, on his hand, or just on his feet. And he juggled all sorts of things: swords, books, newborn children-”

“Naruto,” Sakura interjected, annoyed. Despite the story being fantastic, Naruto’s stories always were, she would not have the Hokage teaching children that babies were something that could be juggled.

“Okay maybe not that,” Naruto reasoned. “But he could juggle anything because he was just that good. He never dropped a single thing, even when he practiced. He was a juggling genius.” Seeing he had Kasumi, Fujita, and Hisano’s rapt attention, Naruto continued with his story. “He wore his silver hair parted and slicked back so that it didn’t hit whatever he was juggling. His costume was electric blue, so bright that it was hard to look at.”

Hisano giggled at the description but was shushed by her siblings.

“But even more handsome than he,” Naruto continued, dragging it out for dramatic effect, “was the beautiful trapeze artist that soared above the sand of the circus tent.”

“Mommy,” Kasumi predicted to the twins solemnly. They nodded their agreement before Naruto continued.

“She wore a blue trapeze outfit that was studded with diamonds and glitter that flashed and sparkled as she flew. Although she had long auburn hair, it never got tangled as she leapt and spun in the air. She was just that talented. She could even include her hair in some of the moves.”

The twins let out a collected “ooo” which made Roka glance over. He quickly returned to his book.

“And every night,” Naruto continued, “the circus would perform for new audiences since they traveled all over the countries. And every night, when the beautiful trapeze artist landed on her platform and was safe from falling, she would glance down at the juggler. And,” Naruto held up a finger, “whenever the juggler got a chance, between juggling hundreds of swords at once, he would look up at her. Although they were separated from each other during performances, they were in love.”

Fujita and Hisano smiled at each other before hurriedly looking back at Naruto, for fear of missing something.

“But,” Naruto held up a finger again. “There were other members of the troop who were jealous of the juggler and trapeze artist. Some envied their skill, others their love for each other, still others just hated them for no other reason than they wanted to be them. Still, the two were happy in their circus life, traveling around and always being together. That was until one night,” Naruto made his voice darker and scarier. “There was a great thunderstorm.” He held his hands out above his head to indicate the size of the storm. Roka looked over in interest. “There was thunder and lightning. But, as all people who perform know, the show must go on.”

Kasumi bit his lip. Fujita and Hisano held hands.

“So just as she always did, the trapeze artist waited for the stage hands to lower a rope down to her that would lift her to the height of her platform. As she slipped her foot into the loop and held on tight, she glanced down at the sandy floor that was quickly growing smaller, until she saw the juggler. He also looked up at her, despite the sixteen swords he was juggling as a warmup.

“At first the performance was going as planned, although the cast members were nervous about the storm. The flash of lightning and boom of thunder got closer and closer together and the rain pelted the tent in sheets. The ringmaster was about to call the trapeze artist and tightrope walkers down from the top of the tent, when lightning struck the center ring pole!”

Fujita and Hisano clutched each other now. Roka watched Naruto with round eyes as Kasumi’s jaw fell open. None of the children could bring themselves to speak. Sakura, seeing their astonished faces, prompted Naruto.

“What happened then?”

“Then,” Naruto continued with one last dramatic pause, “the tent caught on fire! Right at the top where the lightning struck!”

Roka’s mouth was making a small “o” shape now. The medical text lay open in his lap, forgotten.

“Everything was chaos! The tightrope walkers jumped, whizzing down their safety lines to the ground. The trapeze artist however, first had to escape all of the support ropes high in the tent. Where she was standing, there were ropes that held the top of the tent and everything around it in place. If she let those fall, then the entire tent would collapse on the people below!

“The brave trapeze artist was afraid but she couldn’t just let the tent collapse! She secured the lines that she could, the screaming of the crowd below urged her on. Once she’d done all she could to keep the tent up, she flung herself back to the relative safety of her platform. However, her crew had fled the tent and she had no rope to get down from the height of the flaming big top. Looking around frantically, she caught sight of her juggler. His face was white but he was frantically pointing at a line hitched up to a series of counterweights. He held a single knife in his hand and the trapeze artist knew it was her only option.”

“What was?” Kasumi asked, frightened.

“The trapeze artist grasped the rope,” Naruto said slowly, “and threw herself off of her platform into the open air. Then, the juggler threw his knife and it cut through two other ropes, releasing the rest of her line so that she could swing down to the ground.”

The children breathed a sigh of relief.

“The juggler rushed to the trapeze artist but there was no time for a reunion. They immediately fled the tent. The rain had put out the fire but the tent pole was still weakened. All of the spectators had to evacuate along with the crew. The pair met everyone else outside in the pouring rain.

“One of the jealous people, thinking quickly, accused the juggler of trying to kill the trapeze artist with his juggling knife. He shouted louder and louder until many people were listening to his story. All eyes were now suspiciously looking at the juggler, some going so far as to blame him for the lightning strike. When the trapeze artist tried to defend the juggler, others accused her of setting the fire herself! There were conflicting stories flying about who had done what. One thing was for sure, things were not going well for the couple.

“When someone made a grab for the juggler, the trapeze artist totally punched them in the face,” Naruto mimed the swing. “The two performers fled, running through the rain until they reached the docks. Once there, they boarded a ship and became pirates.

“The juggler took the name Sea Foam Wolf and the trapeze artist took the name of Bonny Mei. They sailed the seas for-” Naruto cut himself off, his eyes turned orange for a fraction of a second.

Sakura suddenly said, “Naruto-”

“Yeah, I feel them,” Naruto turned to the children, “your parents are coming! Run, run to bed, go!”

Roka closed Sakura’s book and tossed it to the side. Kasumi vaulted over the couch with Roka right after him. The girls raced around the couch, their tiny feet pattering on the floor. The Hatake children spirited to their bedrooms, rushing to get into bed and act convincing. The bedroom doors closed right as Kakashi and Mei stepped in the front door.

“You’re back,” Naruto exclaimed, looking a little too surprised at the couple’s arrival.

“How were they?” Mei asked.

Kakashi’s eyebrows furrowed in suspicion even as Sakura answered. “Oh, they were just fine,” Sakura waved her hand, “they’ve been in bed for hours.”

“Right,” Kakashi replied, eyes on Naruto’s nervous shifting. “That’s why their chakra is agitated. Are they having nightmares?”

“That must be it sensei,” Sakura said, still trying to save face. “They’re having nightmares.”

“All of them, at the same time,” Mei asked. Her eyebrows rose.

While the Seventh Hokage squirmed, Sakura bit her lip. “I’d-” Naruto finally started. “I’d better get home to Hinata and the kids.” Before another word could be spoken, Naruto was gone in a flash of orange.

“Me too,” Sakura said, while inner Sakura raged that Naruto was a traitor for leaving her. “Sasuke is- and- yeah-” And Sakura was gone too.

Kakashi and Mei looked at each other and, without a word, went to check on their children.

They went to Roka’s room first. The eldest Hatake appeared to be asleep in his bed. He was even keeping his breathing slow and steady. When Kakashi knocked on his door, Roka pretended to stir and opened his eyes a sliver.

“Mom? Dad? You’re home already?” He yawned widely and stretched a bit.

Mei attempted to stifle a grin while Kakashi’s eyes shone. “Yes, we are,” Mei said. “Although I think you knew that.”

Roka opened his mouth to protest but when he saw Kakashi’s skeptical eyebrows, he knew that the jig was up.

“We’ll talk about our questionable choices for babysitters in the morning,” Mei said, more to her husband than to their son. Maybe the babysitting rotation that Team Seven had developed wouldn’t work out as well as they’d hoped.

The couple was about to leave when Roka spoke up. “Mom? Dad?” Kakashi and Mei turned to their eldest son. “You weren’t ever in the circus or,” he stifled a yawn, despite his curiosity, “or pirates, right?”

Kakashi and Mei exchanged glances.

“Well,” Mei began slowly, “your father was technically in the circus.”

“Mei,” Kakashi protested.

“Briefly,” Mei amended.

Kakashi pointed at his wife. “Your mother has always been a pirate. Water Country ninja are basically pirates.”

Mei rolled her eyes at her husband’s explanation. It was true though, the Mist ninja of old were more like storybook pirates than anything.

Roka blinked, wide awake now. He looked between his parents, not sure if they were joking or not. “What,” he exclaimed.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head. “Well, it’s kind of a funny story-”

Mei held up a hand. “Wait, let me get the others before you start. I have a feeling they’re all going to have questions. And I’m sure they’re all awake as well.”

Once all of the Hatake children were settled on the much larger bed in Kakashi and Mei’s bedroom, Kakashi began. “I was once on a mission with your uncles Naruto and Lee, along with your aunt Sakura. On his travels, the prince we were guarding had purchased an entire circus! But when we returned to his country, things were not right. We had to launch a surprise attack and so we disguised ourselves as circus performers…” 

**Author's Note:**

> Suggestions on how to tag this mess are welcome.


End file.
